Happy Holidays from the Merchants downtown and at The Tannery!
Is there a place that’s been unscathed by the falling economy? Probably not. However, as one meanders up and down State Street on a December day, it certainly does appear that Newburyport businesses are keeping steady, if not booming.
Valerie of Valerie’s Gallery, a business that has been a mainstay on State Street for close to ten years says that she’s having a “good season” adding a hopeful note that “compared to last year, we’re doing well.” While, it is true that people might be shopping more carefully than they have in the past, “there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” And don’t we love to hear that!
Brigitte of Petit Bijou, a fairly new business to appear on State Street, says the economy is certainly hurting business but, still, they have seen a lot of new faces this Christmas. More good news: Their numbers aren’t looking drastically different from those of last year. She adds for good measure, “Come on down to Petit Bjiou!” Perhaps the perfect last minute Christmas gift awaits!
Bill of Ganesh Imports says that things are “better this year” and they have many repeat customers. Ganesh Import has been in town close to 21 years (in addition to its Portsmouth location), so presumably, Bill has experience as a business owner in both good and bad economies. He says that conceivably the boost in sales is due to people “being used to where they are” as opposed to last year when going forward in a hurting economy was unchartered territory for most shoppers.
Stephanie of Katwalk hasn’t experienced a Newburyport Christmas until this one. She is “excited to be downtown and hopes we can all hang in there until the economy starts to come back.” Stephanie says business has been very busy throughout most of December and it only continues to grow as the date nears Christmas. And perhaps there are some Newburyport women still looking for the perfect holiday outfit, something one is sure to find on the shelves of Katwalk.
Though Newburyport hasn’t been entirely untouched by the country’s debt, the downtown businesses are keeping steady nonetheless, and thanks to your support, will continue to thrive. So, on their behalf, happy holidays!
In the spirit of silly... we could not resist sharing Bill's dog's toenails with you! Too cute.
This story was written by our new features contributor Bridget Hunt. Bridget can be reached for comment at bridget.c.hunt@gmail.com
