Post-Thanksgiving shopping was encouraging for many North Olympic Peninsula merchants who reported gains over last year as the holiday shopping season moves into December.
And many local owners of shops in Clallam and Jefferson counties were hoping to build on the previous day’s sales Saturday.
Small Business Saturday festivities and sales were planned in Port Angeles and Port Townsend.
The day after Thanksgiving traditionally kicks off holiday season sales and prompts a rush of shoppers to stores that offer special promotions and, in some cases, longer hours.
On the West End, Forks Outfitters store manager Dave Gedlund said his first glance at preliminary sales figures seemed to show an uptick compared to last year.
Sales in all his stores’ departments, from clothing to hardware to sporting goods, appeared to be up this year, he said, although he did not yet have firm figures.
“I don’t think there’s any one item we have that [was] really hot,” Gedlund said.
In Port Angeles, Swain’s General Store manager Don Droz said Friday shopping was about the same as the post-Thanksgiving rush in 2012, with about 100 people waiting to come in when Swain’s opened early at 5 a.m.
Droz said that people were friendly and low-key, unlike the shopping frenzies sometimes associated with larger retailers.
“Not that kind of urgency,” he said. “[It was] kind of a laid-back chaos.”
Customers couldn’t seem to get enough Swain’s gift cards, which were 20 percent off, Droz said, with work clothes and outdoor supplies also being popular.
Michelle Adolphsen, owner of Bay Variety at 135 W. First St. in downtown Port Angeles, said the shopping Friday at her eclectic shop was about the same as last year.
Though Adolphsen said the economy doesn’t seem to be improving quite as quickly in Port Angeles as other places, she said she’s hopeful the remaining Christmas shopping days will be positive.
Adolphsen also said she saw more people walking around the downtown with shopping bags Friday.
“I think everyone is actually shopping, not just checking things out,” she said.
At some nationwide chains, such as Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney, the shopping spree started on Thanksgiving, with some stores opening as early as 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
“Thursday was just unbelievable,” said Paul Quinn, manager of the J.C. Penney store at 651 W. Washington St. in Sequim, which opened at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving this year for the first time.
“We had a line the whole length of the building waiting to get in,” he said.
Quinn estimated between 200 and 300 people started shopping at his store Thursday, with numbers fluctuating at midnight and 1 a.m., then staying relatively steady into Friday.
“I’m just going to ballpark it and say [we’re] running [at] between a 10 [percent] and 15 percent increase over last year,” Quinn said.
Quinn said women’s boots were some of the most popular items, adding that the store’s jewelry department also had strong sales.
“We’ve beat all the goals that we put together [for jewelry],” he said.
Next door, Brian’s Sporting Goods and More owner Brian Menkal reported a respectable showing.
“I’d say at this point, we’re slightly above last year,” Menkal said.
In general, Menkal said, warm clothing was the most popular buy for his shoppers. Ammunition also was quick to go from his shelves.
“During the holidays, people buy a lot of ammo,” he said. “Don’t ask me why.”
Menkal said he took Friday’s shopping and a general upward trend over the past two years as a sign the economy is improving.
“We’ve come out of the trough, and we’re on the upswing,” he said.
Robert McLain of Port Townsend’s Northwest Man clothing store at 901 Water St. said Friday was definitely one of the busiest days of this year.
“It was standing room only in here,” he said.
McLain said Northwest Man had a number of special deals, such as 10 percent off selected items, that shoppers clearly took advantage of.
“Lots of jackets and sweaters, gloves, socks,” McLain said.
“We put it out there and they came and got it.”
McLain said he thinks the positive showing is both a sign a good 2013 holiday shopping season is to come and an indicator that the overall economy might be getting stronger.
“People are opening their pocketbooks up,” McLain said.
“I think they’re coming out more and spending more.”
At Hadlock Building Supply, 901 Ness’ Corner Road in Port Hadlock, store marketing director Jacklyn Kraut said Friday that the shopping season so far shows the economy seems to be improving.
“[Shoppers] are buying more, but they’re being more smart about what they buy,” Kraut said.
Due likely to the store’s weekend sales, Kraut said pet supplies and Tacoma Firelogs, a manufactured alternative to firewood, were the best-sellers.
“We sold out of those,” Kraut said. “One person bought, like, 200 logs.”
Kraut also said the store’s prize walk, in which customers could stand on numbered spots on the floor throughout the store and win prizes when a given number was called, was extremely popular, especially with children.
“The prize walk was awesome,” she said.
“We had lots of happy people.”
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
