If the weather outside is frightful, will retail sales receipts be delightful?
Rainy weather and less-than-perfect skiing conditions over the weekend were a boon for some local retailers, and a bane for others.
An informal survey conducted by the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau indicates approximately half of those retailers surveyed said sales were up from last December. Twenty-two percent said sales were the same, while another 22 percent said sales were down.
"There are fewer bodies walking through the door, but there are more units, higher dollars, per transaction," Jay Emmer, owner of Ketchum Dry Goods, said Monday.
Sales this month were down somewhat from last December, he said. But the year as a whole has been better for him than last year.
"The weather certainly has thrown a hitch into things," he said. "We took a big hit Thursday, and a little hit Friday and a little hit Saturday. Based on feedback from our clients, the weather had a large part in that."
Between 70 and 80 percent of his sales in December come the last 10 days of the month, he said.
"The holiday is far from being over," he said. "We still have six days before the end of the month. Next week is just as critical as last week. Hopefully, the little bit we gave up the three days before Christmas, we'll make up in the six days before New Year's."
That scenario is likely, if projected occupancy holds true.
Carol Waller, the chamber's executive director, said projected occupancy for the weekend of Dec. 23-25 was 73 percent in Sun Valley and Ketchum hotels. In the Hailey/Bellevue area it was 70 percent.
Projected occupancy for the upcoming weekend is 97 percent in Ketchum/Sun Valley and 71 percent in Hailey/Bellevue.
Last year, Christmas weekend projections for Ketchum/Sun Valley were 85 percent. But over the New Year's Eve weekend, projected occupancy was 87 percent.
Condominiums and private home stays, which can account for 50 percent of lodging figures, are not counted, Waller said.
One merchant wasn't sure what to expect from the season.
"I had no expectations, so I feel pretty comfortable," said Maureen Schwendener, owner of Art Quest West in Ketchum.
Schwendener came from the Chicago area and opened up shop in July.
Although she knew about and was prepared for slack—the area's shoulder seasons—she didn't realize the differing appetites for Christmas items.
"In Chicago, all my Christmas stuff would have been gone by now," she said Monday. "I went heavy on Christmas. I'm having a big sale because I bought too much."
Todd Byle of Sturtos sports store in Ketchum said the snow sports sales and rental shop has seen brisk activity.
"Sales have been good," he said. "The week between Christmas and New Year's is going to be the wild week."
Christmas Day started off a little more sluggishly, he said, but things picked up in the afternoon.
"A lot of people are here this week window shopping, then they buy mid-week."
Locals shop pre-Christmas, while visitors typically make their purchases after Christmas, he said.
"Ultimately, we're coming out ahead this year," he said.
Down Main Street in Ketchum, Terry Ring, owner of Silver Creek Outfitters, was having a good day, too.
"The Christmas season was very good," he said, adding that this week was shaping up as well.
"It's a different kind of busy," he noted. "Before Christmas people buy and they make decisions quickly. After Christmas, they bring things back they don't like so they're more particular."
For Ring, last weekend's clouds had a silver lining.
"Weather helps," he said Monday. "The town is full today but nobody's skiing. People shop for entertainment. If it was bright with sun and powder, they'd probably be more held captive by the outdoors. Rainy weather makes them want to stay indoors."
Emmer said besides being left to the whims of Mother Nature, there are a few ways merchants can boost business.
"When you need to work for a living, there is no substitute for working hard," he said. "Hard work, good fortune and maybe intelligence."
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Who's shopping where
Local retailers are competing with the Internet and stores outside the Wood River Valley for shoppers' dollars. As of Tuesday afternoon, 84 people had responded to a poll at www.sunvalleycentral.com asking where people would be doing most of their shopping this year. The majority, 45 percent, said they were looking to the Internet. More than 44 percent were shopping outside the Wood River Valley. Just over 10 percent were keeping it local.
Staff at Paul Kenny's Ski & Sports in Ketchum stayed busy Tuesday. Most local retailers said the holidays brought good sales despite the soggy weather, and sometimes because of it. A few retailers, however, said sales were down from last year.
