Luke Judge

Nancy Graham clearly remembers the woman coming to her PearlStreet Books and Gifts shop during the week of Nov. 15 and sayingtriumphantly that she was, amazingly, done with her Christmasshopping.

“What she purchased from me was her last gift on her list,” saidGraham, the owner of the downtown Ellensburg business, late lastweek. “I think many people are doing the same thing; getting theirholiday gift-buying done earlier and being more careful andthoughtful with their purchases.”

Graham said her sales were up in November so far compared to thesame weeks last year leading up to Thanksgiving.

She said, perhaps, it’s a good omen that seasonal shopping will bemore steady and at a higher rate, overall, than lastChristmas.

As for the traditional Friday, Saturday and Sunday kickoff of theholiday shopping season, this morning Graham said it was a littlequieter in downtown those days than last year.

“There were good crowds Friday night for Moments to Remember, yetit was slow the remainder of the weekend. a few other businesspeople had the same observation.”

Other retailers contacted in downtown Ellensburg and Cle Elum hadsimilar comments, and all were hopeful the buying season will soonpick up and support locally-based business people.

No impulsive shopping

At Gifts of the Vine, also on North Pearl Street, Ry Sherrell, anassistant to owner Linda Schantz, said shopping interest earlier inthe month seemed to be a good indication that good retail sales areon their way.

“It really does seem to be starting earlier to be a very positivetrend, a bit of an uptick in earlier sales,” Sherrell said. “I’veheard from Linda and she and other merchants in our part ofdowntown are saying there’s a definite increase in early activityby customers.”

At a Touch of the West on Dolarway Road in west Ellensburg, ownerPamela Coe said people are still buying at her Western decorshop.

“But they want to spend a lot less and are buying very carefully,”Coe said Friday. “They come in and really study what I have. Thenthey come back two days later and make a purchase.

“I’m not getting those impulsive sales, where someone says, ‘I justhave to have that.’ They’re on a budget, and the economy has madethem more cautious.”

She believes the holiday retail season won’t be spectacular, but itwill be steady.

“I think it’s also a factor that people have been looking for thosegreat sale items all year for their Christmas gifts,” Coe said.”When they find it, they buy it and hold it for Christmas.”

Hoping for a surprise

Jamie Lunstad, owner of Jamie’s Depot in Cle Elum, has been inbusiness since 1983 and, so far, the early holiday gift seasonhasn’t been a one good for sales.

“Maybe people are just being too cautious,” Lunstad said Friday.”I’m really hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised that it will pickup as the season goes on.”

She said the smaller, downtown stores offer more personalizedservice and a friendlier atmosphere, and she said she’ll deliverpurchased gifts on Christmas Eve locally to help make them asurprise.

A national survey recently showed that most people don’t know whatmany local retail stores offer in the downtown areas of smallercities, she said.

The study also showed how much of a difference, economically, itmakes for people to buy locally, she added.

“People should make a day of it and start on one end of Cle Elumand go to the other to discover what we have,” Lunstad said. “Theycan have breakfast downtown and lunch, too.”

Amber Braack, owner of Mac-A-Bee in Cle Elum, said the gift-buyingseason seems uncertain to her at this point, but indicated manypeople are coming in to look at what she has in the way of gifts,jewelry, clothing and other items.

“I think it will take another week or two before many people startgetting in that gift-giving mood,” Braack said. “Then I think we’llsee more sales.

She said customers, so far, seem to be looking for very specificitems and are staying within their budgets.

Finishing strong

Carol Brown, manager of Wind River gifts and home decor off CanyonRoad, agreed that more people are buying Christmas giftsearlier.

“I would say for us we’ve seen holiday sales pick up in the lasttwo months,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t say it was a big powerhouse ofsales, but it’s steady.”

People are deciding earlier just how much they can spend for gifts,and try to stay in that limit, she said.

She is optimistic that the season will pick up steam and finishstrong for local retailers.

Nancy Graham, at her North Pearl Street store, said downtownmerchants, gallery operators and restaurant employees collaboratewith each other and send customers to each others’ businesses whenthey can’t find what they’re looking for or to suggest something toenjoy.

Graham said she often sends customers to other local bookstores ifshe doesn’t have something, or offers to order it.

“There’s a real sense of camaraderie to work together in downtown,”Graham said. “We try to lift each other up in these tough economictimes.

“And we appreciate so much the people who patronize our businesses.when they shop with us, they’re also saying ‘we want you to stay indowntown.’ we want to stay, too.”

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