Back to Home Page

Local Links
Sun Valley Guide
Hemingway in Sun Valley
Real Estate


For the week of Dec. 1, 1999 through Dec. 7, 1999

Lack of snow doesn’t slow sales


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

The skiing wasn’t great, but the lack of snow may have helped north valley businesses fare well for the Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday, which is generally considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year nationwide.

Black Friday is so named because it’s when store owners get out of the red and back into the black.

"I know [the lack of snow] had an effect on local business," Sun Valley Co. spokesman Jack Sibbach said in an interview. "People didn’t ski all day. Most people skied a couple of runs and went into town."

Christen Tippetts, who works at Chapter One Bookstore, said, "Friday was extremely busy, probably the biggest day we’ve had since August. Obviously slack ended for us."

Sturtevants Ski and Sports owner Rob Santa also said business was good at both his Hailey and Ketchum stores. He said the lack of early snow doesn’t seem to be deterring people from gearing up for the ski season.

"We were surprised we did so well," he said. "There seems to be an underlying confidence that winter will be here, even if it’s delayed a little bit. People are buying a good cross section of gear and apparel."

Backwoods Mountain Sports owner Andy Munter said business wasn’t quite what it was last year but was "still pretty healthy."

"It usually takes snow to get things going," he said of his store that specializes in backcountry gear and apparel and Nordic skiing in the winter.

Munter is confident, however, that the weather is going to do what everyone hopes.

"I think the weather’s been perfect," he said. "The storms have been moving through. They just haven’t hit us. I think we’re going to have a good snowy month, and things are going to be great."

In Hailey, the North & Co. clothing and linens store did very well, owner Roger Fleenor said.

"Business was very good. We were delighted," he said.

He said he doesn’t think Hailey and Ketchum are very comparable when examining the ebb and flow of the tourist economy.

"We don’t have slack down here like Ketchum does," he said. "But, yes, Friday was a very big day. It was up from last year."

In Bellevue, Joanne Branen of Glenn’s Grocery said the store did "about the same as last year, maybe a little less."

She said that the Thanksgiving weekend is always busy, however.

 

Back to Front Page
Copyright © 1999 Express Publishing Inc. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited.