The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap Sprucing Up: Katie Yeargain prepares for a weclome onslaught of holiday shoppers at Casa Casa on Lincoln Avenue. National stats confirm the word on the street More holiday shoppers are expected this year than ever before By Christine M. Lias The woman in the trim, pale-green suit plunks her credit card down on the counter at Hicklebee's Bookstore. She runs her hand through her dark hair, sighs and looks off to the side. "I'm trying to do my shopping here instead of the mall," she says. According to bookseller Serena Murray, this customer's sentiment is becoming common. Many shoppers enjoy the feel of trotting down chilly sidewalks and ducking into stores for some warmth and browsing. They want to shop in a town, not inside a mall. And Willow Glen businesses are feeling the benefits of this modern craving for a small-town holiday. Other Willow Glen shops are already beginning to feel the rush. Inside Absolute Indulgence, a Christmas tree with sale items hanging from its branches has been plucked of its ornaments. That's a signal to store owner David Price about the shopping season to come. This will be Price's first holiday season in Willow Glen, and he's so confident of the sale boom, he plans on hiring one or two extra workers after Thanksgiving. Other Willow Glen business owners also anticipate that the 1998 season will be lucrative. "Help Wanted" signs adorn many storefront windows, side by side with lights and holiday decorations. Meg Yeargain, co-owner of Casa Casa on Lincoln Avenue, says the global economic crisis does not seem to be affecting the Glen. "Sure, we watched the news on the Asian crisis, and our prices have come down on some items, but it hasn't hurt business," Yeargain says. "Business has been better than ever. I have 10 people who call everyday asking for direction to Willow Glen. It's amazing how many people are finding us." Come All Ye Billfolds The holiday shopping season can make or break a retail business. In December, 1996, according to the US Department of Commerce, $36.7 billion in gifts and holiday items were purchased. This year, the International Mass Retail Association reports, the average holiday consumer will spend $806--up from $655 in 1995. Of the 1,009 shoppers polled by the IMRA, 51 percent will do most of their buying in December. Thirty-five percent will do all of their shopping within the first two weeks of the shopping season--which traditionally kicks off for real this week. Yeargain bustles inside Casa Casa, either assisting customers or strategically placing ornaments inside the store. Like Price, she intends to hire additional employees for the season--four part-timers. She hired three last year. "We have had consistent sales increases over the last four years," Yeargain says. "Every year has been an increase over the previous year, and we're hoping to follow that same increase this year. "People call us from everywhere for directions, from Menlo Park, Santa Cruz. We also have our regulars. Even 5-year-olds will come in here with $5 to buy a present for Mommy, because they know that this is her favorite store." People will have more money to buy more winter goodies in 1998 than in years past, according to the Commerce department. The per-capita personal income growth rate has soared to its highest level since 1991. The U.S. Department of Labor recently reported that in the month of October alone, 116,000 jobs were created, and the average wage rests at $12.88 an hour. Closer to home, word on the street echoes the national numbers. "I think Willow Glen has a little more disposable income than the average consumer," said Karen Nadler, a floral designer at the Daisy Patch. New and Old Favorites Hicklebee's won't be fully decorated until the night after Thanksgiving. Still, a selection of Christmas and Hanukkah books overflows a display rack near the entrance of the store. Curious George, Madeleine and those ubiquitous Teletubbies, sure to become bestsellers during the season, have prominent places within the store. In the old days, the holiday shopping season began as Santa Claus brought up the tail-end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. But in recent years, the season has been bumped up, even coinciding with Halloween in some cases. "I'm amazed at how many people have begun to shop and get organized this year," Murray said. "We just put out [the holiday books] this week. We're trying to wait until at least after Thanksgiving to decorate." Yeargain says that for her, the holiday shopping season is an "all-year process." "I'll order my 1999 ornaments Dec. 20, 1998," she says. At the Daisy Patch, several Christmas trees and decorations already fill its slim studio. "Some places begin to decorate at the beginning of October. It's very arbitrary and depends on when the store wants to get into it," Nadler says. "We have a gentle integration of Christmas here." [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, December 2, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.