VERO BEACH — After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, a decidedly more down-home experience than the post-Thanksgiving frenzy, and Vero Beach merchants hope that local shopping charms and customer loyalty will carry the day and herald a bustling season after some tough years.
“There’s a cloud of uncertainty that is definitely prevalent,” observed Tom Hanlon, owner of Hanlon’s Men’s Shoes & Clothing. “Retail is challenging. You have to stay nimble and competitive. Places that are run well do well.”
At least anecdotally, local businesses report an uptick in sales and express optimism that the post-recession recovery may be finally taking hold.
Shopping on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24, will tell part of the tale. American Express is sweetening the deal for cardholders by again offering a $25 credit that Saturday for shoppers who use their card in select stores. People need to pre-register for that promotion.
Business has been pretty “decent” this season, Hanlon said.
“We sell quality. People learn that’s the way to go. They find it’s less expensive to buy quality in the long run, than constantly buying less quality items every six months.”
He described customers as “reticent” these days. “In the past, they were a little more free-wheeling. It was kind of like the Roaring Twenties. Then all of a sudden, ‘boom!’ People got hit.”
Gaston Bijoux, a fine jewelry store on Ocean Drive, is continuing a “pretty good season,” according to manager Lou Wilson. Two big sales occurred last summer — a jaw-dropping 8-carat diamond; and a 6.5-carat diamond.
“The mood is optimistic though it’s a little too soon to say because people are just starting to come back” from their other homes,” said Wilson.
The astute jeweler, in the business locally for 15 years, urges people to support local businesses.
“You love Vero Beach and yet you go to Palm Beach and shop? If people don’t support the businesses here, it won’t be Vero Beach anymore,” he said. “Our rents are high. Just give us a chance, walk the street, look at the stores. There are great shops in Vero. We don’t want it to be all law firms and banks.”
The Laughing Dog Gallery Manager Tara Morgan says the gallery has been trying to get out the word to clients to sign up for the American Express promotion. In the past, several customers didn’t realize they had to pre-register for the promotion to get the $25 credit when making a purchase.
The gallery merchandise is all made in the United States. Crafts include three-dimensional art work made of glass, wood and ceramics. Furniture and sculptures are part of its inventory.
“They are coming in,” Morgan said of customers. “Ornaments are going out the door and that’s always a good sign.”
Libbie Ely, owner of Penelope’s Boutique, said holiday shopping got off to a slow start because Hurricane Sandy made travel prohibitive and the November elections kept some people from coming for the winter until they could vote at home.
Several other merchants cited the elections as a drag on business.
“People feel the country — and its direction — is vulnerable,” she said. But with the elections over, “I think people are out and about again, and I think we’re going to have a great season because of it.”
The day devoted to spurring local business for the season is important, as she sees it.
“The chain conglomerate big stores take away the charm and entrepreneurial spirit that builds America. People who want to have small business and survive and thrive — that’s what America is all about, in my opinion.”
She indicated her sales are up, ever so slightly.
“It’s not as much of a difference as I’d like to see,” she said.
Kemp’s Shoe Salon and Boutique co-owner Meg Offutt, who is not participating in the American Express event, said her sales have been up during a “good summer and fall,” making her quite optimistic.
Mark Leigh, owner of Leigh Jewelers, predicted an “upbeat holiday season” after a strong run going back to the summer.
“I’m busy all day,” he said, “now that elections have passed.”
Leigh expects to see strong demand for luxury items as well as lower priced items, although “middle of the road” merchandise costing $500 to $1,500 could be flat. After seeing demand pick up last year, he expects a “dynamic spike upwards” in high-end items as customers who sat out the hard times come back into the luxury marketplace.
That’s one reason to look forward to Small Business Saturday as well as American Express’s role in it.
“Everything helps,” Leigh says. And “American Express is big player in the American economy.”
