Juneau shoppers spend a little more this season
Busy Gallery Walk helps boost holiday sales in downtown
Holiday shoppers spent a little more in Juneau this season compared to last year, local retailers said.
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"This year was a lot like last year, maybe a little bit better," said Nugget Alaskan Outfitters Manager Kyle Harris, who has worked nine years at the outdoor gear store in the Nugget Mall. "People are definitely spending, but we're not seeing the kind of growth we were heading up to the recession."
Sales at downtown toy store Imagination Station were up a significant amount over last year, according to owner Alicia Smith.
"People seemed to be really enjoying their shopping compared to last year," Smith said.
Smith had not tallied total sales but called the growth "healthy" compared to last year, which brought a dip in sales because of the recession.
Holiday retail sales were up about 1 percent nationally, according to The Associated Press.
Juneau is somewhat insulated from the national economy, Harris said, and local retailers might not have seen a large drop in business to begin with.
Sales at Western Auto Marine appeared to be better than last year, Floor Manager Loren Randolph said, but they have not hit that pre-recession level.
Because of the recession, Sales Associate Trevor Sutcliffe expected a tough year selling luxury goods at The Jewel Box, but local customers spent as they did last year, he said.
"It wasn't a stellar year by any means but it's not like no one was shopping," he said.
Sutcliffe and other downtown retailers said Gallery Walk kicked off the season well this year. The event is similar to an open house, drawing locals to downtown shops that stay open late for hobnobbing, snacking and wine tasting as well as shopping.
Gallery Walk is held most months of the year but December's is considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, according to downtown business owners.
This year's Dec. 4 event drew a large crowd in nice weather that made a difference the entire shopping season, Sutcliffe said.
"A lot of people who came in had been here during Gallery Walk, (and) they came back for the things they saw," he said.
Juneau shoppers seemed enthusiastic to buy locally, Shoefly Floor Manager Megan Stidolph said. An employee for nine months, she could not compare this season to last at the high-end shoe store but said it was busy every day and customers were buying, not just looking.
Retailers reported a variety of popular items this year. Bogs neoprene boots for women, merino wool layers for all ages, and remote-controlled cars and Lego headlamps for children were some items that sold well, Juneau retailers said.
Nationally, the hottest sales sectors were electronics, footwear and jewelry, according to The Associated Press. Weaker areas included luxury items and apparel sales.
Online sales rose 15.5 percent on the season, though they make up less than 10 percent of all retail sales.
• Contact reporter Kim Marquisat 523-2279 or e-mail kim.marquis@juneauempire.com.