Jul 10, 2008

Main St. stays a step ahead of recessionBy Barbara TaorminaWickedLocal.com

Amesbury, MA – As the economy continues to sputter, retailers across the country are hunkering down for a long hot summer.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in May, Americans spent $384 billion on everything from flat screen TV’s to flip flops. Although that may sound like a lot of cash, it’s actually a meager 1 percent increase from April, and the forecasts for consumer spending for the rest of the season aren’t encouraging.

Everywhere, people are tightening up their personal budgets, trimming out the extras so they can pay for the essentials like gas and groceries. So where does that leave downtown Amesbury, which is home of a slew of specialty shops and businesses that one might expect to be hit hard during hard times?

Not in as bad a place as one might think. Amesbury’s downtown merchants are feeling the slowdown, but they’re making adjustments. They’re planning more specials and sales, tweaking their inventory, extending their hours and catering to loyal customers. And some feel it’s their status as niche businesses that will help them through the recession.

“One of the biggest things we’re trying to do is keep a positive attitude,” says Stephanie McCowan, executive director of the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce.

“Everyone is supporting one another,” says McCowan who adds there’s a gentle push on to keep shops open later, particularly on weekends so merchants can capture the after-work and after-dinner crowd from the restaurants.

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