Downtown businesses seeing slight sales increase

Sean Harkins

The recent absence of warm weather may be leave beaches empty, but it has helped keep downtown Alpena businesses busy this summer.

"We've seen a lot of traffic the last week, and actually I think it's because of the weather. I think we do better, downtown shopping, when maybe the weather isn't perfect," Bolenz Jewelry co-owner Wayne Calkins said. "Instead of sitting in the cottage or the campground people get out."

Olivet Books and Gifts store owner Mary Rajasekhar said there have been more tourists in town and more foot traffic downtown the past few days. She also said the gloomy weather keeps people away from the water and into downtown businesses.

Keeping sales up compared to past summers has been difficult for a few businesses.

"I'm working a lot harder to get the same sales. It takes a lot of work, I have to do a lot more promotion and stuff and come up with events to lure people in, but if you can get them here they still are spending money," The Forget-Me-Not Shoppe owner Vickie Mock said.

Mock said in some regards things are better than last year, since there aren't major road construction projects in town and gas prices have dropped.

Rajasekhar said at the beginning of the year, she was very cautious when buying merchandise, but her sales have kept pace with last year and she is hopeful for a strong fourth quarter.

June was the first month Bolenz's sales were even with 2008 sales, which Calkins attributes to a slight increase in consumer confidence.

"People will only sit on their hands for so long. There becomes a little bit of pent-up demand maybe to buy themselves something or buy their loved ones something. I think sometimes they hear so much bad news they get overly cautious," he said.

How the year will end for the businesses is unknown, but there is hope that the country and region's economic problems will lighten in the near future.

"In retail we're all proceeding with caution because we're not sure how long it's going to take for the consumer confidence, so to speak, to turn around ... but for us we're seeing a bit of a rebound already so I'm cautiously optimistic," Calkins said.

Mock said teamwork through various programs, such as the Passport to the Arts and the I Shop Locally campaign, have helped area businesses.

"I think all the businesses in the area have really been pulling together to help all of us survive in this economy," she said.

Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.