It's not just the weather that's chilly. The economy remains far from red-hot this holiday shopping season. For some, though, Christmas is far from a single season. It's their only season.
It's Christmas Today! is the motto of Santa's Village in Jefferson, and indeed, the amusement park creates Christmas every day it is open between May and December. Started in 1953, the park has grown to more than 15 rides and attractions. Surprisingly, only 15 percent of annual profits are generated in November and December. Most customers show up during the summer months.
Marketing Elf Bruce Hicksreports that while the park took a hit when the economy nosedived in 2008, revenue is now rising like Santa's sleigh-climbing 16 percent in 2010 from 2009, making it one of the best years on record. Santa's Village employs 22 people full time and 260 part time. It recently converted five part-time positions to full time.
Hicks says lately more visitors are bringing their own lunches. However, the park continues to update attractions to attract guests. The Cozy Gingerbread Bakery, where patrons make and decorate gingerbread men (and women), was recently renovated. It typically sells 25,000 cookies annually, including 400 a day during the Christmas season.
New Hampshire is also home to several Christmas shops that sell ornaments, tree and house trimmings, collectibles and other holiday decorations year-round. The Christmas Dove in Barrington has two stories and more than 30 themed rooms. It claims to be New England's largest Christmas store and also has a location in Ogunquit, Maine. President Garth Svenson says people come to buy the decoration or gift that they're not going to find at a big box store.
The Christmas Dove and other year-round Christmas retailers, such as The Christmas Loft, with stores inNorth Conway and North Woodstock as well as Shelburne, Vt., have been successful because they offer more than just Christmas products. They offer an experience, making them a destination for shoppers. The Christmas Loft has a life-sized Animated Christmas Village inside both the North Conway and Shelburne stores.
The Christmas Dove fills its 16,000-square-foot Barrington store with interactive areas that sparkle and delight, including the second-floor Toy Shoppe, a 6,000-square-foot room with enough toys and games to impress even Santa. Svenson says the store becomes a day trip. Families build memories around their trip.
While collectibles like Department 56 villages and Annalee dolls have traditionally been the bread and butter for Christmas shops, sales have dwindled in recent years. In response, many Christmas stores, including Bayberry Barn Christmas Shop in New London and Jingles Christmas Shop in Westmoreland, have added more wallet-friendly items. We do still sell collectibles, but they're not as strong as other things, says Jan Muchmore, owner of Jingles. To appeal to customers, we're selling a lot of items for under $20 and $10.
Christmas stores are now in their busiest time of the year. The Christmas Loft sees 90 percent of its total revenue between June and December. Muchmore says she works tirelessly to make sure wreaths are made, orders go through, and batches of her homemade fudge are ready. Being organized keeps everything running as smooth as possible, and makes shopping in our store a lot easier, she says.
Perhaps the most important aspect of business for Christmas stores is repeat business that stems from becoming part of family traditions. Many visitors to the stores continue to come back year after year and, even more impressively, generation after generation. The most amazing thing to me is seeing the people who were kids in 1973, when we first opened, bringing their kids in. It's a testament to what an independent store can do, Svenson says. Folks just love the holiday season.
Current Issue - May 2024