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Business
Is Booming
For
Local Merchants
Holiday
sales
the
best in years
By
Carol Main
of
the Desert Journal
Yes,
property taxes are higher and utility rates have gone up, say local
merchants, but they also said that business is great.
"This
has been a great Christmas season,'' said Terry Lanford, owner of The
Desert Flower, 508 Broadway. "Thirty percent of our business is from
out of state customers who call up and order flowers to be delivered to
their parents or grandparents who live here.
"For
instance,'' Lanford said, "just last week I got in 70 poinsettias and
they were all ordered out and gone before the week was over. Our biggest
overhead is paying our delivery people and keeping flowers in stock. One
box of flowers from Albuquerque costs $45 but the quality is worth it.
This has been our best holiday season yet.''
Jim
Bersch, owner of Loretta's Gifts, Jewelry & Souvenirs, 412 Broadway,
said, "This is my 11th year in business in T or C and it
has been my best business year ever. With one exception, and that was the
month of August and that was funny.
"My
first year here when I was located across the street I did real well until
August. The business just died in August and then picked right back up in
September and I finished the year great. It did the same thing this year,
and that is really funny because it never did that in any of the other 10
years. Only in 1990 and 2001.
“Right
now I am 17.4% ahead of last year, money wise, and this Christmas season
has really been great,” he said.
Bersch
formerly owned two shopping malls in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico,
and knows good business when he gets it.
"The
secret to success in any business,'' Bersch said, "is attitude and
product. I use the old KISS formula meaning Keep It Simple Stupid. I
provide good quality and really try to please the people who come in,”
he said.
“This
is a community of seniors and I try to stick with what they need, like
moose hide moccasins that are well padded because a lot of elderly folk
have foot trouble. And seniors are on fixed incomes so I keep my prices in
their ballpark,” Bersch said.
“The
backbone of my business is the loyal repeat customer and several of mine
come from El Paso to shop away from the traffic and the hassle down there.
They come up here to play and to shop, and when they retire from their
jobs they move up here, and they remain loyal.''
Bersch
said his hot products this year are the moccasins plus leather hats and
small Golden Books that are right for children.
Quality
in a unique product and individual service are two things Personal
Expressions owner Beverly Bradley, 406 Broadway, also values.
Personal
Expressions is a new shop that opened during Bersch's nemesis month of
August 2001, and of all the businesses that come and go here, this one is
a rare jewel.
Everything
in the shop from native jewelry to paintings to fine metal artwork to
Bradley's own unique custom embroidery is priced to the average pocket.
Bradley
said she does embroidery on garments to order, "People can bring a
picture in and I will embroider it on their own garment or on something
they purchase here, or they may choose a pattern from the stock that I
have. I also offer a showplace for local talent where they may exhibit
their finest work.''
Mr.
Swanson, Swanson’s Sales & Service at 402 Main St., said, "We
send people to Personal Expressions all of the time to have gifts made for
their families. Bradley does excellent work.''
Swanson's
business, like that of the Amin brothers, Amin’s Furniture, is not
affected by the holiday season. Carl Amin, however, said that his now
closed Amin's Department Store did progressively worse business every
Christmas for the past five years.
"Why,''
Amin said, "is a mystery, especially since Cherrill's Western Apparel
is doing great and we carried some of the same clothing she carries.''
"Yes,
I am doing great,'' Cherrill at 217 E. Third Ave. said. "So well in
fact that it is to the point that I am expanding the store. I carry
everything a cowboy could want except his horse or his girlfriend. I can
outfit him from his hat to his boots including his tack and dress his lady
and his little buckeroos too.''
A
shop for the cowhand in a town surrounded by ranches makes a lot of sense.
And when that cowboy's lady wants a treat she can visit Barb's Gift
Gallery, 220 N. Date St., for gourmet coffees, teas, candies, spices and
vinegars.
Barb
was so busy with customers when I visited that it was a real feat for her
to stop a moment.
"I
thank God every day,'' Barb said, "for everything in this great
business year that he has sent me.'' In addition to gourmet items, Barb
stocks a multitude of high end products from one-inch stocking stuffers to
majestic wind chimes, including porcelain and Southwestern dolls.
Davis
Fleck Pharmacy, 500 Broadway, also stocks many gift items and manager
Kristi Heath said, "We are having a good holiday season in comparison
to past years. Our gifts are moving nicely, especially our little
Christmas bells.''
Fine
jewelry is also in demand for Christmas, according to Cara Trumbull of
Parisi, 420 Broadway.
"This
is our third year here,'' Trumbull said, "and we are doing very well,
a lot better than last year. Our main sellers are fine jewelry, engraved
ID bracelets and black hills gold that is unique to this area."
Even
Dee Hodo of Pixie Discount Store, 421 Broadway, said, "Our business
is up over last year. I don't know why but it has been very good.''
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