Retailers around the city are reporting traffic is up this December for a solid Christmas shopping season.
āWe got busy at the beginning of December and itās been picking up daily since then,ā said Judy Zubriski, owner of Hooked on Books on Main Street. This is the bookstoreās third Christmas, having first opened in early December 2010.
āThe first year, we opened up really quietly. We didnāt do a lot of big advertising,ā said Zubriski. But by last Christmas, she said, the shop was well known. Still, she is seeing an increase over last year.
āTheyāve been buying a lot of everything. Weāve got books and toys and CDs and games. Itās been a little bit of everything, mostly books,ā she said adding that the bookstore also offers a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the street.
āWe have over 6000 titles in the store, so there is a lot to choose from,ā she said. āItās a relaxing quiet place and people can calm down and relax.ā
Hustle and bustle is what Kerri Milton, interim manager of the Downtown Penticton Association, is also seeing.
āI was out there all day today,ā said Milton. āEverybody was very, very busy, lots of people.ā
Downtown is a lot more vibrant this year, she said, with fewer empty storefronts. Milton, who was previously manager of the Pen-Mar Theatre for eight years, said she has been getting feedback that the past summer was one of the best downtown merchants had in years. That trend seems to be mirrored in the Christmas shopping season.
āI got to meet a whole bunch of shop owners,ā said Milton. āThey are saying they are doing very well and it is a great kickoff for the new year. Hopefully it will continue through the winter, they are doing exceptionally well this year.ā
In the centre ofĀ Penticton, Gary Leaman, general manager ofĀ Cherry Lane Shopping Centre, said traffic has been strong.
āCertainly, there seems to be extra traffic in the neighbourhood, because of the opening of the Superstore across the street, which is consistent with our expectations.ā
Itās something Leaman said they have observed before when a new retailer opens in Penticton.
āWhether it has been WalMart or Zellers or Canadian Tire, our sales have had a little lift,ā said Leaman, who attributes it toĀ shoppers staying off the road to Westbank; with more options locally, more people stay home to shop.
āWe do traffic counts and our traffic is up slightly from last year, which is good,ā said Leaman. āOur sales have been up slightly this year and were flat last year, so we are holding our own.ā
The mall boasts a large selection of seasonal tenants, according to Leaman, along with having all of the in-line stores filled, adding up to a large selection of merchandise for shoppers.
āWe didnāt lose any tenants in 2012 and we picked up four new ones,ā said Leaman, explaining that the market for retail stores is a competitive one.
āIt is a challenge because national and regional retailers are not looking at small market B.C. Weāve got the lowest operating costs and our sales performance is consistent.
āWeāre pleased with how we have come through 2012.ā
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