The 2009 holiday shopping season was a mixed bag for local retailers. While many valley shop owners and managers said sales were better than in 2008, some saw the quietest shopping season in years.
The general consensus, though, was that consumers shopped more sensibly and closer to home this Christmas season.
Terry Locatelli, owner of Boulder Creek Drug Store, agreed that more people shopped locally this year than ever before.
“It got busier here two weeks before Christmas than it ever has,” she said this week. “It really started picking up. A lot of people did comment that they were going to shop locally this year.”
Locatelli said she noticed that people seemed to choose gifts more practically this year and veered away from knickknacks.
“We sold a lot of housewares and warm apparel, like robes, scarves, sweatshirts and raincoats,” she said. “Most items we sold were things that people really use.”
Marion Palm of Zinnia’s Home & Garden also said business was better this year. Palm said she sold a lot of jewelry, scarves and candles.
“Thanks to local customers, we had a great Christmas,” Palm said. “I think people are overall more optimistic about things.”
Nationally, holiday shopping was reported to be up 3.6 percent between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 compared with last year, according to figures from MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse.
“We did notably better than the last couple of years,” agreed Linda Levy of Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center in Ben Lomond, a nonprofit that features products made by local artists.
“We probably did twice as much business as last year,” Levy added. “We were really close to doubling our sales.”
However, Julie Ball, manager of Debutante in Scotts Valley, said the high-end boutique was quiet this season.
“We were actually pretty slow,” she said. “Last year, we had just opened, and it was much better.”
Ball noted that while the store has seen a lot of foot traffic, people are browsing more than buying.
“There haven’t been a lot of purchases lately, but we’re hoping with New Year’s Eve coming, people will come in to look at cocktail dresses.”
Similarly, Clare Campbell of the women’s clothing store Outback Trading Co. in Felton said this Christmas was the mellowest in six years.
“People are spending less this year,” she said, “although several people said they were doing their shopping locally, which is very encouraging to hear. I’m looking forward to a new year with an improved economy.”
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