Main Street merchants hope for robust holiday sales
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All of the merchants downtown, like most businesses, say the Christmas season is their bread and butter, contributing a major portion of their yearly receipts.
Moody Stinson, of family owned Diamond Jewelery, says he is looking forward to the holiday season.
?I?d say 25 percent of my business comes through December and January,? Stinson said, noting the completed Main Street renovations have created a great atmosphere for shoppers. ?Oh, it?s really nice,? he said. ?Really nice. Worth the wait.?
If you?re looking for that perfect piece of jewelry for that special person, Diamond Jewelry has a wonderful selection of gifts for the discerning shopper.
Nedra Davenport, owner and operator of Attitudes, recently relocated to the downtown area and says it was a good step for her shop.
?We love it,? Davenport said. ?It?s been the best move for our store, as far as traffic and business.?
Davenport said the Friday after Thanksgiving, a traditionally busy shopping day, was no different for her.
?It?s been fantastic,? Nedra said. ?We?ve seen a great increase over last year. Traffic was really heavy Friday. We had a great day. We actually had a lot of people from out of town.?
Davenport says the holiday season is definitely something to look forward to for downtown merchants.
?It?s what you live for,? she said with a grin. ?You have those months that are not so great that you keep thinking, fourth quarter, fourth quarter. But we?ve been very blessed that we do have great customers.?
Davenport says she has a wonderful selection of popular items which make great Christmas gifts, with one item in particular selling quite well.
?Crocs,? she said, ?They?re great. Everybody loves them.?
Sandy Elwood, proprietor of Sandy?s Gifts, says the Christmas season is stacking up to be a busy one for her shop, which is definitely good for business.
?It?s very important to have a good season because it tides you over for your first quarter,? Elwood said. ?Because usually after Christmas people don?t do as much shopping, they?re getting ready for taxes, so Christmas is very important.?
Elwood went so far as to say the holiday gift giving season accounts for as much as 40 percent of her yearly take, and she says she is well stocked with whimsical and wonderful gifts for Christmas, and, in fact, stocks some holiday items all year.
?I have such a wide variety of items,? she said. ?Everything from candles to jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry. I have flags and wind chimes and sun catchers. I have a year-round Christmas shop. I have All Occasion greeting cards. I have some collectibles, wedding items. I have Red Hat merchandise for the Red Hat Society, which right now is 25 percent off. I have Mary Engelbreit. She?s very popular.?
These shops are part of a newly revitalized downtown, which offers its own unique shopping and browsing experience. If you want to find that special gift, and support locally owned businesses, the Main St. shops are a great place to come and do your holiday shopping, and the area offers some great dining as well, with New York Grill, Capalano?s and Main Street Bakery.