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Holiday spirit prevails as shoppers still hit stores for right gift
By KALEA hall
YOUNGSTOWN
There’s something special about going in search of the perfect gift, finding it and wrapping it.
Then, watching as someone opens the gift surrounded by holiday decor and frosted window panes.
It can warm one’s soul.
Shopping, to some, has to be a part of the holiday festivities.
To others, the shopping experience is one they can do without.
Nonetheless, retailers are busy – and they like it.
“The traffic has been very strong ever since Black Friday,” said Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for Cafaro Co., which owns the Eastwood Mall Complex in Niles.
Black Friday and the week leading up to Christmas are the busy times of year for retailers.
During Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation found that more than 151 million people shopped in stores or online. NRF’s survey found those under 35 shopped that weekend. Clothes, toys, books, DVDs and consumer electronics were the top-selling items.
Another NRF survey found that just 10 percent of shoppers, or 22.6 million, are done shopping.
Many shoppers are still in search of the perfect gift.
At Tom Gober’s Gracylane stores in both Eastwood Mall and Southern Park Mall in Boardman, the perfect gift for his customers is the Alex and Ani bracelet.
“Sales are up for us over last year,” Gober said. “Alex and Ani is our biggest seller.”
Gober’s customers go to his stores to find different brand items and speciality gifts, such as the S’well bottle, which keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12.
“I try to stay on top of the brands I carry,” Gober said. “We buy things that have a story to them.”
Gober’s stores, five total, have had positive sales numbers all year.
“Even though they say online shopping has taken over, we are seeing positive numbers,” Gober said. “Customers like to see the product when they buy it. There’s still a need for brick-and-mortar stores.”
Chocolate is a gift that also tops the list of many.
“It is a universal gift,” said Jack Peluse, director of operations for Gorant Chocolatier LLC in Boardman. “You can give it to a man or a woman. It’s one of those gifts you can give to anyone.”
Retail sales at the Gorant locations on Market Street and Boardman-Canfield Road are up by about 3.5 percent over last year’s. French mints, barks and meltaways are just some of the top-selling chocolates.
Chocolate-covered cherries also are selling at high levels this year. Gorant had to continue production through Friday on Christmas chocolates because of the increased demand.
“We usually slow down,” Peluse said.
Overall, the NRF estimated holiday sales for November and December will increase by 3.7 percent, which is down from last year’s growth of 4.1 percent.
In Ohio, the growth is expected to be 4.2 percent over last year, according to Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.
“Black Friday begins our first big initial push for the holiday shopping season, but we do enjoy an increase of shoppers during the days leading up to Christmas,” Southern Park Mall manager Beth-Ann Maro said in a statement.
For those in need of last-minute items today, Gorant locations on Market Street and Boardman-Canfield Road are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Southern Park is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Eastwood is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.