With Friday’s official kickoff of holiday shopping season now complete, Norfolk retailers are hopeful about how their businesses will fare throughout the Christmas season.
“We think it’s going to be a pretty good shopping season in our area,” said Troy Weyhrich.
Weyhrich purchased the former Corral West location in Norfolk, where he had served as manager, when the corporate office closed its 140 stores nationwide last year.
Compared to the kind of third-quarter sales Weyhrich said he saw with Corral West, Renegade Work Western and Weekend’s sales are up about nine percent. If the store’s layaway program is any indication, Weyhrich said he expects the Christmas season to be just as fruitful.
“We have twice as many layaways as this time last year,” he said.
Weyhrich said he believes many customers are taking advantage of special promotional where they receive an additional item with a purchase. He has seen a lot of stores are offering similar promotions right now.
Friends outside of the area have told Weyhrich the economy in their area is a little tougher. Weyhrich said he feels fortunate to be in the Norfolk area and has set his goal at remaining consistent with the 9 percent increase over last year.
Mark Raders, owner of Wetzel & Truex Jewelry in Norfolk, said he believes holiday sales this year will be slightly better than last year.
“I think people have gotten a little more confidence,” he said.
Raders didn’t, however, expect to see a lot of shoppers on Black Friday because his customers are generally men who don’t like to shop early.
“We’re not a black Friday type of store,” he said.
Based on what he’s seen in past years, Raders said it’s likely customers at his jewelry store will stop in and browse so they can put their wish list together, but the purchases won’t pick up until about two weeks before Christmas.
“It’s common,” he said. “Guys are not going to shop early unless they’ve got something really specific in mind.”
Raders said he believes Northeast Nebraska has been fortunate because it hasn’t suffered the high unemployment rates that have hurt retailers elsewhere. At worst, Raders said sales so far this year have been erratic.
“But it hasn’t been bad,” he said.
Greg Luedtke, manager of the J.C. Penney’s Store in Norfolk, said he wasn’t sure what to expect for the holiday shopping season in Norfolk. A former Lincoln resident, Luedtke will be spending his first Christmas shopping season at the Norfolk store.
Lately, he said, the traffic in the store has been good. He hopes that is an indicator of things to come, but he wants to keep his expectations realistic.
“It all depends on how people are feeling,” he said.
