The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Corner Stores: Lincoln Avenue promises to be bustling this holiday season.

Retail sales forecast a promising holiday season for the Avenue

Merchants report record revenues on busiest shopping day of the year

By Anne Gelhaus

Anticipating a slow business day like the one she had last year, Our Secret owner Julie Painchaud gave her employees the day after Thanksgiving off. She later discovered she'd erred in closing her consignment-clothing store on that Friday.

"I made a big, fat mistake thinking business was going to be like it was last year," Painchaud said. "When I came back Saturday, Nancy [Biagini] from Casa Casa said it was the busiest day they ever had."

Casa Casa manager Meg Yeargain confirmed that the home-interiors store had a "record-breaking" Thanksgiving weekend.

"There were so many people out in Willow Glen; it was really amazing," Yeargain said. "It started long before Thanksgiving weekend. It's been really crazy for the last couple weeks. I think more people have found Willow Glen. We have people calling us for directions 10 times a day."

Painchaud believes shoppers are looking to Lincoln Avenue as an alternative to the malls. "Mall shopping is disgusting," she said. "You can go to a mall in Dallas and find the same merchandise in the same stores as they have at Valley Fair."

Demetri Rizos, manager of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, said the Avenue's increasing popularity reflects a national trend.

"People are going back to small shopping districts," Rizos said. "People come to Willow Glen because they find it charming."

Rizos said shoppers along the Avenue are a mix of Willow Glen residents and people from outlying neighborhoods.

"We're definitely getting a draw from the greater San Jose area," he added, "probably from the downtown and Rose Garden areas."

Generally, Yeargain said, the boom in Casa Casa's business starts in mid-October and continues until Christmas.

"This is our sixth Christmas," she added, "and [the day after Thanksgiving] has never been our busiest day. The day before Christmas is traditionally the busiest."

Yeargain said about 20 percent of Casa Casa's retail sales are transacted in the last six weeks of the year.

"It's a busy time, but it's not what we live for," she added. "Every year, we've had retail-sales increases that are much higher than the national average."

Painchaud said sales at Our Secret are up 39 percent from last year.

"I'm going into my fifth year [of business]," she added, "and I've seen an increase every year."

Willow Glen Books owner Cathy Adkins said she expects her store to have strong holiday sales, particularly because business in November was better this year than last.

"I'm going to say that [sales] are going to be better than last year," she added. "I'm almost beside myself, I'm so busy."

In December, Adkins said, the store generally does two to 2 1/2 times more business than it does in an average month during the rest of the year. "We always do more special-order business during the holiday season. People are asking for higher-quality books because they're buying for other people."

Adkins said her bookstore did brisk business over Thanksgiving weekend. "We had customers all three days. Saturday was probably our busiest day."

Once Our Secret opened its doors for business, Painchaud said, "I had a fabulous Saturday and Sunday."

Painchaud said she's learned her lesson about closing up shop the day after Thanksgiving. "I should have known better because the Avenue is growing," she commented. "I'll definitely have extended Friday hours next year."

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]