Arctic temperatures limited holiday foot traffic in Westchester”™s shopping districts, while a snowstorm served as icing on the cake, marooning potential last-minute shoppers in their homes.
Claudia Baker, owner of All Paws Gourmet Pet Boutique in Rye, said she relied on some old, out-of-town visitors to counterbalance the cool pace of customers on Purchase Street, usually one of the county”™s premier shopping destinations. Part of the problem may have been that while some were visiting Westchester, many locals were visiting elsewhere.
“We have people visiting family who always stop in every year when they come to town,” said Baker, who has run the store for the past seven years. “But other than that, our regular customers are just away.”
Although the weather reduced the pet shop”™s holiday foot traffic, it also boosted interest in some winter items. That business could carry over after more snow and the so-called polar vortex this month.
“What I”™m selling now are the booties that protect dogs”™ paws from rock salt and freeze burns while keeping their paws warm,” Baker said. “Given the way the temperature has been so far, these are really crucial for them.”
Across the nation, retail sales showed a 2.3 percent growth during the holiday shopping season period between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, 2013 compared with 2012, according to MasterCard Advisors, the professional services arm of MasterCard Worldwide Inc. that provides consumer-spending data based on credit card transactions.
A recent report released by MasterCard SpendingPulse provided market data by tracking customer spending during the holidays on apparel, electronics, jewelry, luxury and home furniture and furnishing categories. Jewelry saw the biggest increase in sales year to year.
However, small jewelry store owners in Westchester say their experiences don”™t mesh with the statistics.
Joe Soares, owner of Cressida Jewelers on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, said small jewelry stores are hurting as more consumers shop online. According to MasterCard”™s SpendingPulse, e-commerce sales rose by double digits. Soares said the holiday weather paired with a lack of an online presence for his store hurt his revenue.
John Silver, an employee at Cressida Jewelers, said the Mamaroneck Avenue corridor near the city center and a strip of restaurants and bars does not regularly attract luxury-goods customers.
“Business is not too good for jewelry stores on this avenue,” Silver said. “The only people who come here are our regulars who come for the holidays”¦But this street is not the place people come to shop.”
During the last three years, Cressida has bought gold from customers and then melted jewelry down for resale. The recent holiday didn”™t see a lot of action in the gold exchange because of the plummeting price of metal, Smith said.
Nationwide, the apparel sector saw slight growth during the holidays, while luxury and electronics remained flat, according to the MasterCard SpendingPulse. A separate analysis by MasterCard Advisors showed that large retailers performed better than smaller retailers because of increased sales and promotions that started early in the holiday season.
Robert Bernstein, owner of Mount Kisco Sports at 7 S. Moger Ave., said his business “could”™ve been better for the holidays.”
Not only did the snow keep Bernstein”™s store closed for four days during the holiday rush, but he said foot traffic is scarce due to a number of empty storefronts, businesses turning over and a difficult parking situation. Holiday shoppers in his store would often run out of the store due to expiring meters.
“It”™s so depressing and nasty when they get a ticket,” Bernstein said.
Phillip Sohn, owner of Thomson”™s Art Supply Inc. on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, said the Christmas shopping season was slower in 2013 than 2012 because of the weather. Sohn”™s father, Young Sohn, who handed down the business to his son three years ago, said he was optimistic business will pick up with increased demand from schools reopening after winter break.
Thomson”™s, a retail remnant of the city”™s downtown prior to its influx of bars and banks, relies on architects, engineers, designers and art students to keep them open. Thomson”™s provides specialized services: customized glass cuts, dry mounts and frames.
That uptick in business is usually expected in January and February, the Sohns said. But Silver, the employee at Cressida, was doubtful that the next big jewelry holiday, Valentine”™s Day, would fare much better than 2013”™s holiday season.
“It”™s more about flowers and chocolates than rings and necklaces for couples,” Silver said. “And dads are getting their daughters iPads and iPhones instead of sterling silver necklaces.”
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