Local purveyors of books, toys, computers and shoes are cautiously optimistic about their continued success this holiday season.
Black Friday was strong for the four local businesses, but there is traditionally a shopping lull following the busy Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s been the case this year.
People are buying, they say, though not in the numbers the retailers would like. Still, they believe as the holidays get closer customers will be more willing to spend.
Nationally, sales increased .2 percent for the week ending Dec. 3, meaning it was essentially flat from last year, according to data from ShopperTrak. That was a 22.5 percent decrease in sales from the previous week, which included the biggest Black Friday ever.
A late Hanukkah and strong online sales likely have exacerbated the normal post-Black Friday dip, ShopperTrak said.
So far, the weather has not helped. Rain last week meant some slow days at Dunwoody’s Picayune Toys, and a sunny weekend didn’t help the shoe store Abbadabba’s.
“It’s hard to sell people on Uggs when it’s a little warm outside,” Abbadabba’s chief financial officer Kristen Smith said.
Sales at Abbadabba’s five stores were 5 percent or 6 percent lower the first weekend in December than they were for the same weekend last year. And the numbers were down a great deal from Thanksgiving weekend. Smith said people who came into the stores were buying — there was just less foot traffic.
Abbadabba’s did sell out of some popular Frye boots and was unable to get them back in stock quickly, Smith said. Some sales were lost when the shoes were unavailable, but Smith said those customers will receive phone calls when the boots arrive. She hopes the sales can be recovered.
Sales were down, too, at FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock. But co-owner Ellen Ward said a 10 percent dip from last year’s results for the December weekend could easily be made up by author events and other means.
“It’s nothing to be alarmed about,” she said.
Ward said some of her optimism comes from gift cards that sold at twice the volume they did last year. It’s a sign of confidence in her business, and also good for the bottom line, as the money comes in early for some cards that may never be redeemed.
A birthday party and a festival in Woodstock meant more walk-in traffic for the store last weekend, and sales of hardcover books are up, as Ward expected them to be. There is a lot of traffic on the buy-two-get-one-free table, she said, and she expected signed copies of “The Help” and other titles to be strong sellers.
Darryl Peck thinks shoppers will begin to come out in greater numbers as Christmas approaches, at least at his eight PeachMac stores. It’s early, but he said the trajectory has been good.
“Black Friday is a sprint. The rest of the holiday season is a marathon,” he said. “It’s still a little early with larger ticket items.”
Peck said shoppers don’t want to get credit card bills with pricey iPads or iMacs on them before the holidays.
The 30-day return policy at Picayune Toys also leads some shoppers to delay their purchases, store manager J. Goblish said. “It seems like people are more reluctant to spend early,” she said.
Picayune Toys has had some big sales, but it’s also had some slow days. Shoppers are spending $25 to $35 on gifts on average, Goblish said. Some smaller items, like activity books, are selling quickly.
Goblish said she is demonstrating toys and talking to shoppers, working the floor and answering questions about the games she sells. It’s worked, she said, as people who have seen and touched an item are more likely to buy it.
She thinks sales will continue to pick up.
“All of a sudden, Christmas and Hanukkah are really going to come,” Goblish said.
PeachMac’s Peck said he anticipated a strong weekend thanks to a $400-off sale of a discontinued MacBook Air that he was able to get a deal on. That discount is larger than the $200 off MacBook Pros he had on Black Friday, and those sold out that day.
At Abbadabba’s, Smith expects the lull to last another week or so, to be followed by a huge rush right before Christmas. Starting this week, Abbadabba’s will stay open later.
If the temperatures drop, Smith said, she may have more luck with winter boot sales.
“I’m just hanging tight,” she said.
FoxTale’s Ward said rainy days mean people aren’t shopping, but for Peck the weather doesn’t make much of a difference.
“At the end of the day, people are going to get the gifts they want to get, no matter what the weather is,” he said.
