By Beth Mechum, Staff Writer
Local merchants worry about how lingering concerns over the economy, including continued high unemployment, will play out in this holiday shopping season.
After a down year last year, the merchants were upbeat about a rebound. So far, a surge of shoppers hasn’t materialized and results are likely to be mixed. Still, many shopkeepers are encouraged by an apparent uptick in interest and energy even if that hasn’t translated into sales.
At Nested, a home-and-gift gallery located in downtown Carrboro, Owner Jenny McMillan, who helped lead the charge for the town’s recent Buy Local week, said she didn’t see a dramatic increase in sales from the effort, but adds that a big jump wasn’t the point.
“In my store, all week long, I featured different vendors that I buy from in the area, so people knew which products I had that were locally made,†she said. “I hope that is something we do every year, and that we get all stores onboard, and that it becomes a real celebration in the future.â€
As for the season in general, McMillan said she was pleased.
“It’s always going to be busy in December, and this year is no different.â€
Kara LeFleur, a manager at Roulette, said she’s noticed a little drop-off in shopping this year compared to years past, but she attributes some of it to how late Thanksgiving and Black Friday were.
“Christmas kind of snuck up on people this year, and I think people are a lot more careful with their money,†she said.
LeFleur said she saw a lot of browsers, many of whom didn’t turn into buyers. Roulette had increased hours and was open more days than usual to facilitate as much holiday shopping time as possible.
At Kitchenworks in University Mall, manager Martha Jenkins said she’s been pleased with the season, especially given the times.
“We’re rocking and rolling,†she said. “This year people have been really good. They are not holding back like you would think in the recession. I think people feel better about spending money.â€
Jenkins also expressed the importance of buying local.
“People are just happy with us this year, and we’re happy with them,†she said. “We just want people to know how much a difference it makes to shop local.â€
One shop benefiting from the recent burst of winter weather is the Great Outdoor Provision Company at Eastgate, where warm socks and gloves have seen rising demand. “It’s going great here, considering hard economic times, as we keep hearing,†store manager Ann Stuntz said. This year’s hot selling item, she said, is Vibram FiveFingers, a shoe that fits like a glove.
Stuntz said it’s probably been the second-best year in terms of holiday sales in the five years the store has been open, though you couldn’t tell it from foot traffic alone.
“The amount of traffic has been reduced … so it hasn’t felt quite as harried. But people are spending money.â€