Local retailers report brisk sales through the holidays

Fort Scott, Kan. -- An ailing national economy has apparently not had much effect on sales at several local stores this holiday season.

"Nationwide, they keep talking that way, but it didn't affect us that much," Wal-Mart Supercenter Store Manager Terry Files said.

Files said sales were strong at the local retail store between Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and Christmas.

"We did pretty good," he said. "In these tough times, people seem to lean toward Wal-Mart a little bit more than other retailers."

Files said he couldn't release specific revenue figures or comment on the number of overall shoppers the store drew through its doors during the holiday season, but did say that the store received a boost in shopper traffic on Black Friday. Files added that the only promotion methods store officials used during the Christmas shopping season were its regular holiday promotion flyers that are typically distributed every year.

Files also said he could not reveal sales figures for the store's individual departments, but that it appears the entire store performed well during the holiday season.

"Overall, the whole store seemed to be doing well," he said.

Judy Renard, the owner of The Country Cupboard, said her store experienced strong sales during the holiday months, and she feels that more local people are heading to downtown stores to shop in order to keep pumping money into the local economy.

"They (sales) were good," she said. "They've been good since Christmas Day and until the end of the year. We've been so busy that I haven't figured out why we're so busy."

Renard said the recent completion of the Streetscape Project, a plan to restore and revitalize portions of downtown Fort Scott, has also attracted more people downtown to shop.

"People kind of have it in their mind that the economy is not good, but that supporting local business isn't such a bad idea," she said. "We had a number of families who brought in their relatives to buy gifts, which contributed to our business. People like our new Streetscape and they want to see what's going on and how it's (downtown) changed."

Raymond Bin, the owner of Bin's Vintage Antiques, said his store, which opened last July, did not experience good business throughout the holiday season. However, sales at his store have increased dramatically since Christmas Day, Bin said.

"I have nothing to compare it to since I wasn't open here last year, but I would consider them (sales) to be very weak," he said. "My sales are up 200 percent after (Christmas) from what I did before Christmas."

Bin said he attributed weaker sales at his store partially to a struggling economy, and partially to what he thinks is a recent decline in the number of people who shop locally at small businesses.

"The economy has some factor in it," he said. "People don't know how to shop locally anymore and don't understand the importance of it. Local small business revenue goes back into the community. I feel it's very important and we make it a point to shop locally."

Bin added that a few sales are currently in effect at his store in an effort to continue attracting business in the coming months.

In addition to busier shopping, the few days after Christmas are traditionally the busiest days of the year for returning gifts.

Stores such as Wal-Mart prepared for the increase in returns by staffing more associates to handle the workload faster.

Local stores, including both Wal-Mart Supercenter stores in Fort Scott, Kan. and Nevada, Mo., as well as Sears in Nevada, have seen the number of returns remain consistent with years past.

Carolyn Morris, a saleswoman with Sears, said returns at the store were minimal this holiday season. Morris added that about 10 items have been returned to the store since Christmas.

"Most people take returns to a full-line store where they got them," Morris said.

According to Terry Files, the store manager at the Fort Scott Wal-Mart Supercenter, the store saw increased return traffic but was not overwhelmed like stores in larger cities.

"People around here tend to take their time," Files said.

Staff reporter Michael Pommier contributed to this article.