.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Nationally, retailers are reporting less-than-stellar sales figures for the 2007 holiday season, but Greater Des Moines shopkeepers seem more upbeat.

According to data released on Christmas by SpendingPulse, U.S. retailers reported a 3.6 percent rise in sales during the holiday season, which fell at the lower end of projections that sales would rise between 3.5 and 4 percent. The National Retail Federation predicted in September that holiday sales would rise by only 4 percent to $474.5 billion, which would be the slowest year-over-year growth since 2002, when sales rose 1.3 percent.

Though most local retailers are still tallying their sales figures for the November-December period, many are confident they are at or above the national average.

“I think [the holiday season] was as strong as ever,” said Jordan Creek Town Center assistant manager Michael Cook. “Traffic in the mall certainly showed that.” Jordan Creek won’t have final sales figures until late January.

Though poor weather kept many people from shopping during the weekends, Cook said it increased weekday traffic. Also, the mall’s first ever Rockin’ Shoppin’ Eve, when the doors opened on midnight the day after Thanksgiving, drew a record crowd of about 190,000 people. “Everybody that participated exceeded their sales from last year in November,” Cook said, with most meeting their day’s goals before the mall would normally have opened.

Steve & Barry’s opening at Southridge Mall played a key factor in the mall’s sales this year, said marketing manager Kelly Thevenot. Traffic increased every week compared with last year, with a 45 percent jump the Sunday before Christmas. A 15 percent increase in traffic the day after Thanksgiving also made Southridge one of the top Macerich Co. malls regionally.

Because we had a strong year, I wasn’t certain how that would affect the holidays, but we had a great year and a real strong holiday, too.
– Charles Ganske Manager, M.C. Ginsberg’s

Though Thevenot is still waiting for several retailers to report sales figures, she expects sales to be up by 2 to 5 percent overall from last year. One reason for her optimism: photos with Santa Claus increased 13 percent.

“We’re still showing increases, even with snow and ice,” she said, “so that’s pretty good.”

Gift card sales also are expected to play a key role; many consumers cashed in their cards the week after Christmas or waited until January. The NRF expected gift card sales to total $26.3 billion during the 2007 holiday season, compared with $24.8 billion in 2006.

“This whole week and certainly the day after Christmas were busy,” Cook said. “I think people are taking advantage of after-Christmas sales, and our gift card sales are very good, so I think a lot of people are shopping with gift cards as well.”

Jordan Creek management said gift card sales were up in November compared with last year, and though actual card sales were up in December, the total amount spent on gift cards was down. Southridge’s gift card sales were up about 4 to 5 percent for the year, and Thevenot said traffic the Wednesday after Christmas was up 30 percent from the year before.

Even smaller shops seem to have had a successful season.

Beth Umphress opened her secondhand store, Charlie’s Children’s Shop, in West Glen Town Center just three months before the holidays, and although she believes spring and fall will be stronger for clothing sales, she said her handmade accessories sold so well she’s planning on adding more new gift items this year. Girls’ accessories, including headbands and hats, were especially popular.

“It wasn’t actually the prime time to open,” Umphress said, “I would have loved more word of mouth out there before I opened, but it ended up working out.

“I think people, when tightening their belts, are beneficial to me, because this is a place they start to come,” she said. “People are thrilled with it.”

M.C. Ginsberg’s holiday season was just the icing on the cake in a year of record sales. “Because we had a strong year, I wasn’t certain how that would affect the holidays,” said manager Charles Ganske. “But we had a great year and a real strong holiday, too.”

Ganske estimated sales were up 20 to 30 percent over last year, with expensive wristwatches and large-diamond jewelry being especially hot items.

This bucked a national trend, according to SpendingPulse, whose report showed that though luxury items had a 7.1 percent increase in sales this holiday season, jewelry sales fell 1.9 percent.

The store did not have any specials to attract customers during the holiday season, but Ganske said it has been more consistent in its marketing, which he thinks helped. He also speculated, “I think luxury clients are seeking out the small boutiques where they see the same people every time. They’re tired of the large chain or 100-person operation. They want to deal with two or three consultants.”