Super surge in sales
Thursday, 1 January 2009
DESPITE myriad difficulties faced by retailers in the current economic crisis, Coleraine stores have been battling back over the festive period, experiencing a last-minute 'seasonal surge' of shoppers.
Speaking to the Chronicle this week, a collection of local stores, reflecting on their Christmas sales experiences, reported some positive news amid the economic 'doom and gloom'.
Sports giant, JJB, told the Chronicle on Christmas Eve that shoppers were behaving "roughly the same as they were last year," in spite of the economic downturn.
Store manager from Coleraine's Hanover Place, Richard Murphy, said: "We've had to be more aggressive in reductions. We've had three or four different campaigns over Christmas."
Indeed, the store, along with many others in the borough, have been competing for shoppers with a wide range of sales, offering great value for customers looking for a seasonal bargain.
Reports from the last few shopping days before Christmas showed all was not lost on the high street, as shoppers turned out in force to purchase last minute gifts. Retailers told the Chronicle the extra days before Christmas was a welcome boost, reflected in their sales from the period.
Mr Murphy said: "I always found Coleraine to be more of a last minute shopping place anyway. People tend to go to Ballymena early in December before coming to Coleraine. It's a very slow build in Coleraine."
Reports from other major stores in the town, such as Moores and footwear specialist, Bishops, depict a similarly positive picture.
Director of Bishops Footwear, Tom Hamilton, told the Chronicle business was "really normal" over the festive season, with "very busy" post-Christmas sales.
He said: "We always start our sale the day after Boxing Day. We were very happy with our business after Christmas. People were picking up some very good bargains."
Indeed, Bishops maintained a staff-oriented ethos over Christmas, keeping to their traditional sale start date of December 27 and giving staff members a well earned break over the holiday period.
Relaying an uplifting message to the Chronicle, in what is a trying time for many businesses, Mr Hamilton said: "We're not planning to close down or even hinting at closing down. We will still be around for years to come to offer the kind of footwear that people wouldn't find in a normal high street shoe shop."
Managing Director from Moores, Neville Moore, also spoke to the Chronicle on how the store had found Christmas this year. The message was again an uplifting one, with reports of healthy sales in the week leading up to Christmas.
Mr Moore also described the first day of the Moores sale on Saturday (December 27) as "exceptional."
He said: "Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this year were excellent and this week should be a good week. We've some excellent value in the sale, which is our biggest ever."
It would appear that any shoppers who held back before Christmas, have made the most of the myriad sales which continue to flaunt the high street.
Mr Moore also told the Chronicle customers are "being more cautious about what they're spending their money on", seeking out "quality items" which will last longer.
With such trends starting to appear, this could herald an end to the era of 'throw-away' shopping, with people purchasing goods less likely to need frequent replacing and thus curbing their spending.
As one retailer told the Chronicle, the most challenging time for local shops is likely to be in the New Year, when people no longer have the 'need' to shop as much as they may have done over Christmas.
Indeed, JJB store manager, Richard Murphy said: "The test is January, when people don't have to spend money. I wouldn't really be concerned about sales at Christmas."
It seems at the moment however, that despite the current economic climate, Coleraine's core high street shops are still going steady and are prepared to face the economic crisis head-on.
