Local merchants pleased with Christmas sales figures

Going into this holiday shopping season, retailers' anxiety meters were turned up to 11.

Although most retail analysts predicted light crowds, dismal sales and a sharp tumble in profits for retailers, several local merchants were delighted and surprised after tallying up the holiday sales figures.

"In the retail climate that we are in now, I'm very happy," said Jim Tyler, manager of Belk at Peachtree Marketplace.

Tyler said sales were virtually unchanged from a year ago. In Christmases past, flat sales figures would be disappointing, but some retail analysts predicted the weakest holiday season in 40 years.

Tyler said good deals and heavy promotions seem to boost profits and sales.

"All in all, we ended up pretty good," he said.

The picture was bright at Bargain Shoes as well.

"Sales were on the up through the end of the year — 11 percent through November and Christmas sales were up 40 percent," owner Bennie Blalock said. "That trend continued through the end of the year, giving us a 12 percent increase for 2008.

"Summer sales were really slow and in September we lost about 25 percent, so the really good holiday brought us back up," he added.

Prime Outlets — Gaffney retailers had a merrier than expected Christmas as well.

"We are extremely pleased with the amount of shoppers that have visited the mall this holiday season," Prime Outlets — Gaffney Marketing Manager Leesa Bodden said. "Despite the negative views of the economy, merchants are reporting higher sales than were expected for this year. Many stores are reporting double-digit increases over last year on the day after Christmas."

Bodden said shoppers also have packed the mall this week as some mall merchants slashed prices as much as 70 percent. Those deep discounts will continue through today, she said.

Big Lots Manager Anna Hardin also reported stronger-than-expected sales.

"We had a pretty good (holiday shopping season)," Hardin said.

She said markdowns seemed to entice shoppers to spend their money.

A lot is at stake each Christmastime for merchants since the holiday shopping season accounts for as much as 40 percent of annual profits for many retailers.

The International Council of Shopping Centers expected sales at established stores to fall as much as 2 percent this holiday shopping season, making it the biggest drop since the organization began tracking the information in 1969.

"With the bad economic news, I surely feel blessed and fortunate to come out the way we did," Blalock said. "I am cautiously optimistic about first quarter sales but I think that people will still be buying. The gas prices have a lot to do with peoples' attitudes about spending so we will hope for some of that 99 cents gas again."