Hollister
– Despite a bleak economic outlook, downtown merchants are
optimistic Black Friday will kick off a holiday shopping season
that will pad their Christmas coffers with some much needed
cash.
Hollister – Despite a bleak economic outlook, downtown merchants are optimistic Black Friday will kick off a holiday shopping season that will pad their Christmas coffers with some much needed cash.
“It’s a make or break Christmas,” said Dorothy McNett, owner of Dorothy McNett’s Place downtown. “It’s very high pressure this year, more than any, because we need to make this Christmas work really, really good.”
McNett, who recently decreased the size of her store by half, said this has been the worst sales year for her business in the past several years.
She’s hoping people shop locally to support small businesses which struggle daily just to survive, McNett said. She said people shopping in her store have told her they’re trying to shop at home as much as possible.
“I’m optimistic and I think everyone else is, too, but I don’t know,” she said. “I do know that sometimes we sit and cry together and we’ve given each other a lot of support.”
San Benito County Economic Development Director Al Martinez said the city is struggling as a whole because nearby retail giants are enticing shoppers out of the county.
And it’s the bright lights of Gilroy’s shiny, new box stores that have people flocking there in droves, he said.
“All the big guys are having sales and people are looking for bargains. If you gave people the opportunity to have a Wal-Mart, they’d have it here tomorrow,” Martinez said. “It’s just 15 minutes away to Gilroy… and it’s nothing to jump in the car and go. I see them driving down main street and I know where they’re going.”
Hollister Downtown Association Director Liz Sparling conceded businesses are hurting in town, but said she’s optimistic people will spend their holiday dollars in Hollister to give the city some much needed revenue.
The HDA is kicking off the holiday season with its Lights On parade Saturday, and merchants downtown will be staying open late every Thursday leading up to Christmas to give people a chance to shop later and longer.
“Last year we had a great holiday season and we’re hoping to have the same success this year,” Sparling said. “All the merchants are inviting local people and people out of the area to come and shop in Hollister.”
The downtown recently underwent a complete makeover that left its sidewalks torn to shreds for months. But She’s owner Shelia Stevens said dealing with the clouds of dust and jack hammers was worth it because the city’s refurbished streets will bring more people downtown.
“I knew it would end up being great,” she said. “Of course it affected (business)… but look what we have. Our downtown’s going to be wonderful.”
Stevens said the depressed economy hasn’t affected her clothing business much and she is expecting this holiday season to be bountiful.
“We always do well – really,” she said. “People always go, ‘Really?’ But the downtown is doing well. It isn’t hard to get people to shop downtown. I have made more money every year than the last.”
San Benito County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Theresa Kiernan is also optimistic the holiday season will help businesses. The Chamber and the HDA are hosting the 2nd Annual $700 Shopping Spree Saturday from 10am to 4pm as another way to entice people downtown, she said.
While she said being so close to Gilroy’s shopping cornucopia, coupled with the building moratorium, is a challenge, it’s not impossible to overcome.
“People always think the grass is greener on the other side – it’s a human nature thing that’s very hard to beat,” Kiernan said. “But I have to say, compared to other small downtown’s nearby, we really do have the widest variety for people to shop in.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
