Businesses bullish on holiday sales
Although the nation was officially declared to be in the clutches of a recession recently, a number of Germantown businesses have reported that they remain optimistic about the chances of posting good sales during this holiday season.
According to statistics compiled by a national research firm, sales during the day after Thanksgiving rose three percent from last year nationwide. Although no hard figures on local sales were available yet, some local retailers said that they have seen a good number of customers coming through their doors. Some indicated that they have taken steps to help their businesses be more attractive to shoppers during times of economic downturn.
Germantown businesswoman Vicki Olson is the owner of What’s Hot, a boutique gift and clothing store located in the Germantown Crossing shopping center at Germantown and Farmington.
Olson said that holding special events at her store has helped bring customers in.
“We had a good month in November by holding a number of special events,” she said. “We had a fabulous day on Monday, Dec. 1, and we have four special events scheduled for December,” she added.
“Times are different,” Olson said. “We have to rethink and come up with special ideas to get people to shop. People have money, but they are being careful where they spend it.”
She added that business owners need to continue this strategy of being pro-active once the holiday season ends. She said that she also hopes shoppers continue to support the local economy by shopping at home first.
