Local retailers count on successful shopping season
Published 5:28 pm Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Kay Traylor of Frame ‘n Things said she sees customers during the holidays that she doesn’t see all year. The holidays bring in about 20 percent of her annual sales. --Ashley Johnson
Holiday sales can in some cases represent anywhere between 20 to 40 percent in annual sales for retailers. As shoppers budget and save so they can provide gifts to their families, retailers rely on those holiday sales for not only their gift giving, but also a large portion of their annual income.
According to the National Retail Federation, the holidays create between 585,000 and 625,000 jobs for seasonal employees across the nation.
For Selma and Dallas County, holiday sales mean just as much to local retailers as for those on the national level.
“Local shoppers are our lifeblood,” Kay Traylor owner of Frames ‘n Things shop said. “We don’t draw in out-of-towners unless someone comes to Selma to visit their family for the holidays.”
Traylor said her holiday sales at Frames ‘n Things match up to the number reported by the NRF. About 20 percent of her total annual sales are from the holidays.
While shoppers will all but bust down the doors of large retailers during the wee hours of Black Friday, smaller businesses are asking for a small favor — that holiday shoppers pay them a visit as well. A national push and initiative, led by American Express, is asking Americans to remember Small Business Saturday, just two days after Thanksgiving.
Director for the Selma Dallas County Chamber of Commerce Sheryl Smedley said the chamber is supporting that same initiative, but with a twist. The chamber is asking for all Selma residents to shop local as well as shop local small business.
“If you get your list and check it twice you will find that you can buy every gift you are looking for in Selma,” Smedley said. “Even if there is something you cannot find, many local retailers can order something for you and you can also purchase gift cards.”
Smedley said local is the best way to go for holiday shopping, but she encourages local shoppers to start early in order to get everything they need.
“I encourage everyone to shop their community first before they go out of town; I want everyone to be challenged to shop and support Selma-Dallas County first,” Smedley said.
