Holland business owners report holiday shopping trends
HOLLAND — With the holidays over, small business owners in Holland are reflecting on the success of the season.
The National Retail Foundation forecasted a nationwide increase in holiday sales between 4.3 and 4.8 percent in 2018. The forecast noted an average annual increase of 3.9 percent over the past five years.
“Thanks to a healthy economy and strong consumer confidence, we believe that this holiday season will continue to reflect the growth we’ve seen over the past year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
But how did local retailers fare?
“We were quite a ways up in sales,” said Kim Smith, owner of Silver Fox II Jewelry in downtown Holland, which moved to its current location on Eighth Street in September. “I think it’s made a tremendous difference with us being up front.”
Marissa Berghorst, co-owner at EcoBuns in the Holland Town Center, also saw an increase in foot traffic.
“We saw a really interesting trend,” she said. “We had more in-store sales and less online sales than previous years. We’ve been talking about it, and I think it’s because the construction around us is finally done. People were more excited to come in and shop this year.”
The Holland Town Center hosted several holiday events in 2018, including trick-or-treating and photos with Santa.
“Those events really helped promote shopping at the center,” said Berghorst.
One of the event planners, Maranda Shear, also owns Art as a Lifestyle — an art-focused consignment store in the town center. Shear is a former employee of Moynihan Gallery & Framing, which was located in downtown Holland until owner Kate Moynihan’s retirement in August.
“It’s tough, because it’s my first holiday season,” said Shear. “Traffic here isn’t the same as downtown, but I feel the season did bring in quite a few people that wouldn’t otherwise have stopped in. I’ve also had repeat customers and people who came back to participate in a class. I think that helped, having something for people to do while they were shopping.”
Meanwhile, Karla’s Place in downtown Holland saw traffic similar to 2017.
“Overall, I’d say it was comparable,” said manager Sarah Ruszel. “I think some days were slower than others, but we did the downtown holiday events and it was fun to see a lot of people out shopping and supporting downtown.”
Each store saw an interest in unique products. Karla’s Place, for example, sold a variety of socks with sassy sayings.
“We do really well with those,” said Ruszel. “We also have handmade products like Michigan ornaments with nice sayings on them. We make those at the store.”
At Silver Fox II Jewelry, scarves and hats were popular, along with Michigan stones. Art as a Lifestyle sold hand-crocheted puppets, cork purses and shower steamers. At EcoBuns, stocking stuffers and big-ticket items were trending.
“We definitely have a lot with the baby registry store,” said Berghorst. “People are always coming in for gifts they want to get locally. And with big-ticket items, people feel more comfortable getting those in-person than ordering online. If you’re going to spend that much money on a toy or a piece of clothing, you want to make sure you can feel it before you invest that kind of money.”
According to Berghorst, preparation is the key to a successful holiday season.
“Start planning early,” she said. “Have your plan ready before October. We actually took all of our Christmas pictures in October, because we knew we wouldn’t have time in November. One of the things that business owners struggle with is having to wear so many hats and, during the holidays, some of those hats can fall off. So, it’s important to set priorities and get things done early.”
To Ruszel, keeping shoppers in-store is about customer service.
“Especially with online sales, it’s important to provide customers with a really great experience,” she said. “Just being friendly, greeting people when they come in the door. We do gift-wrapping, and that can be a great perk. We also have a planting station that provides a special experience for customers because they can actually come pot a plant. I think it takes your business to the next level.”
Shear agrees preparation and service are important. She also believes promotion is vital.
“Promote like crazy,” she said. “Make sure you’re on social media telling people what you have. It’s about showing people your products and how they can be giftable. If something looks giftable, you’re more likely to make that sale.”
— Follow this reporter on Twitter @BizHolland.
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/20190105/holland-business-owners-report-holiday-shopping-trends