This year’s Christmas shopping season turned out to be a mixed bag for Greenwood retailers.
Mike Goldberg, co-owner of Conerly’s Shoes & Clothing, said the business had a strong month and predicted another good year.
“I’ve been doing this 46 years. It was the best year I’ve ever had,” he said.
Conerly’s is in the “premium brand market,” which helps draw customers in from throughout the Delta, Goldberg said.
Howard Smith, owner of Smith & Co., said Christmas sales were “all right.”
“It wasn’t our best year,” he said. “It was a little better last year.”
Since a large percentage of Smith & Co.’s business involves sportsmen, Smith said, the milder-than-usual temperatures have caused sales to drop off.
“We need some cold weather for my hunters,” he said.
Anthony Ola, the owner of Anthony’s and Ola’s Shoes, said the season went well.
“The weather affected it a little early on,” he said. “Boy, they came out in droves. The last three or four days was something else.”
Overall, Ola said 2016 was a good year for local retailers: “We were glad to see it and glad to have it.”
A strong retail market helps draw shoppers from all over the Delta, he said. Those people also tend to spend money on other purchases as well as dinner and gas, which helps the overall economy, he said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
