Dec 7, 2008

Local retailers: Holiday shopping has been steadyBy TMCNet.com

Bowling Green, KY—The outlook was bleak, but local retail sales have been steady since the holiday shopping season officially began last week.

Even though national retail sales tumbled in November due to the slumping economy, several local retailers said their holiday sales have not dramatically dropped from last year.

“Sales have been pretty steady,” said Bob Irizarry, assistant manager at Target in Bowling Green. “I think people are spending, buying what they want for Christmas.”

Target’s national sales tumbled 10.4 percent from last November, according to reports, but the Bowling Green store was blanketed from that decline — low gas prices have played a role in the local store’s steady sales, Irizarry said.

“A lot of it fluctuated with gas prices,” he said. “Gas went down, and people came out and bought items.”

In fact, the local Target store has not been plagued with a lack of holiday traffic, but a lack of merchandise.

“I think if we had more products we could have sold more,” Irizarry said. “Guests were there, and they were willing to buy. We didn’t have everything they wanted.”

Spencer Gifts in Greenwood Mall has seen a decrease in holiday sales, but profits are not as grim as store officials expected, sales supervisor Jonathon Adams said.

“I think that’s with everybody,” he said. “They’re not that bad from last year.”

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