Area retailers doing well amid 2009 holiday shopping season

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John M. Steiner / The Sun Cindy Kramer, clerk at JCPenney, assists customers Tuesday at the Buffalo Mall store in Jamestown.

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With holiday shopping at full tilt, some area retailers report strong sales. It’s the same from the large retailers to the specialty stores downtown.

“It’s been great, we’ve been busy,” said Randall Kellogg, an assistant manager at Walmart.

In addition to the products at Jamestown Walmart, shoppers can also use Site to Store, a service were customers buy products online that are shipped free to the Jamestown location, Kellogg said.

“That has continually in-creased since the first part of November,” he said.

Toys like Zu Zu Pets, Barbie products and Lionel Trains have also been doing well at the retailer, Kellogg said. Electronics like flat panel TVs and video games are all among top sellers.

Kmart reports similar trends with electronics, including game consoles like the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, said Joni Dalke, store manager at Kmart and member of the board of directors for the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I’d say sales are brisk. People are shopping,” Dalke said.

She said as a member of the board of directors on the chamber, tax dollars spent in the community stay in the community and help pay for projects like the city’s infrastructure.

“We appreciate the people that try to keep their dollars in Jamestown,” Dalke said.

One downtown business, Attitudes 4 U, has had strong holiday sales, said Shawn Seckerson, co-owner.

“They have been going very well, better than anticipated,” Seckerson said.

The women’s boutique has a few hot items like home décor and wine accessories, but modular, customizable Miche purses are all the rage this year, she said.

This is the second year for the boutique at 113 First Ave. S. and sales are up from last year at this time.

“We’re doing way better this year in almost every area,” Seckerson said.

Another store that features women’s items along with men’s items with solid holiday sales is JCPenney.

“Sales are going as expected, we’re having a good holiday season,” said Mary Engels, manager.

Lines aren’t backed up at the Buffalo Mall store and that’s all part of the plan because Engels does not want any customers waiting in lines. That’s why four registers are open at the store.

“We don’t believe in lines here,” she said.

As temperatures begin their winter descent, JCPenney sees more sales in sleepwear, wool coats and jackets for the whole family, Engels said.

Another area store seeing increased sales in winter apparel is Gun & Reel Sports.

“That (winter) impacts the clothing a lot,” said Woody Woodward, vice president of Gun & Reel.

Sales at the store range from snowmobiles to sandals so Woodward isn’t exactly sure how good sales are.

“(We’re) looking forward for it getting a little better before it’s over with,” he said.

One store in Jamestown that offers a brand name and is looking for increased sales is Stutsman Harley-Davidson.

“They (sales) are fair, there’s always room for more considering the weather we had,” said Al Pergande, general manager at Stutsman Harley-Davidson.

On one side of the coin, the road conditions are allowing shoppers to leave town to buy presents, Pergande said. On the other side, the road conditions have allowed for more people from Bismarck, Aberdeen, S.D., and Fargo to shop at the store.

But Sundays are good for the store because it is the only Harley-Davidson store open in the state on Sundays.

Pergande is optimistic that sales increase more this evening for a women’s clothing sale and Thursday evening for a men’s clothing sale.

“We’re selling a lot (of clothing) right now simply because we have a wide selection,” he said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, retailers, shopping, christmas, holidays