Post-holidays

Retail reports are up

Richard Frieg and his wife Mary, owners of the Savory Spice Shop at 110 North Tejon, didn't know what to expect - they'd only opened up shop late in 2009.  Deliberately, their projections were conservative. Happily, they beat those projections over the holiday season.

"It was really good. We were very pleased with the traffic," Dick says. "There's been a good buzz in the store and every day is a new adventure. Of course, the proof will be in the coming months."

The Friegs themselves are proof positive that doing your homework and truly meeting a market need are primary to success. Dick says that he heard from hundreds of customers about how relieved they are to not have to drive to Denver for the goods now available in his shop. "We get that, because we were two people who'd been making that drive!"

Regina Heuberger-Romrell reports that business at Regina's Unique Boutique, 119 North Tejon, showed a pleasing gain over last year. She detected a spirit of measured optimism, with customers revealing plans for more home-based, intimate celebrations and spreading out their purchases more wisely.

"It was definitely a good year; not as 'great' as I've seen in years past, but definitely an upswing," she says. Heuberger-Romrell sold out of coats, and rang up sales on lots of skinny jeans, boots, fun tops and "tons" of accessories. Her customers, new as well as loyal patrons, were more thoughtful in determining their purchases - looking for good value and versatility.

A few doors down from Regina's, at 111 North Tejon, Jack Miller Jewelry Designers had a fantastic year, with sales up 36 percent. In December alone, sales grew 40 percent. Jack Miller says his customers were focused on purchasing single quality pieces, rather than an assortment of lesser ones. He's also seen more business from people bringing in older pieces to be redesigned due to the skyrocketing value of gold. "Of course, they often add in a diamond here or there, too," Miller says.

One "shocker" trend for Miller is the number of men purchasing and designing "surprise" engagement rings. "It used to be maybe one in ten would risk that. Now it's more like fifty percent," Miller says. "Men have become romantic again."

How was business for you this holiday season?  We'd love to hear of your challenges, successes, tips and more - whatever you'd like to share. Send your story and contact information to Terri Huggins by January 31^st.

Downtown's gift

Card sells out!

The new Downtown Gift Card was a smashing success - the Downtown Partnership sold out its 1,000 inventory before Christmas and had to turn away a few shoppers. According to program coordinator Denise Schall, the cash value of all those cards totaled $35,000.

"We're absolutely thrilled that the Downtown Gift Card was such a hit," Schall says. "We look forward to shoppers putting those cards to good use in the early months of the new year."

And not to worry - more cards are on emergency order and should be available before the end of January. The Downtown Gift Card can be purchased at the Partnership offices, 111 South Tejon, Suite 309 or online at www.downtown80903.com. For more information, call (719) 886-0088.

From the Downtown Snoopster

Free advice

We all know that Downtown is cool. But cool doesn't necessarily mean perfect. The Snoopster wanted to see if people who spend a lot of time Downtown had any ideas about how it could be more inviting in 2010. Well, sure enough, when you put imagination to the test, interesting things unfold.

Here's what some folks had to say.

Resident: I'd like to see what a lot of even smaller cities have: a walking mall with a lot of little kiosks in the middle, where you can buy affordable, unique items. It should be esthetically designed so people feel good about being there. Someone could even make money by renting cute shopping carts, which would encourage people to buy things. My friends from out of town always say that a walking mall is something they wish we had.

Resident: We need a little grocery market-deli in, say, the 100 block of North Tejon. Any further north and the people who work in the government buildings wouldn't take advantage of picking up a few things for dinner before heading home.

Resident & Business Employee: I would like to see a nice quiet, non-smoking, upscale, gay-friendly martini bar, where gays and straights can mingle easily. I don't want a sleazy pick-up pub: I want a place with sophisticated ambiance, where you can hear smooth jazz and meet friends. It should be a friendly, social environment where even people who don't go out much will feel comfortable.

Business Employee: I would like a place to go for lunch that is a refuge, a quiet place with organic salads and sandwiches, a little café with no wi-fi and no cell phone activity. This oasis would be very esthetic, with lots of greenery and beautiful artwork. After the respite, employees could return to their jobs refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon's work.

Retailer: Instead of parades and Springspree, which benefit only the bars, we should have arts and crafts shows, fashion shows, and other events that would directly benefit retail.

Visiting nurse from L.A: "I would love for Downtown to have a Trader Joe's and an Anthrolopogie. I'm thinking of moving here, and I would want to live in the Downtown area. I shop a lot at those places in L.A."

Business Owner: A chocolatier. We need a serious chocolate shop.

Entrepreneurs, are you listening?

Freebie fun

Showcase at Studio Bee

The 2010 season of Showcase at Studio Bee gets under way January 21, with performances by Benjamin Pratt (6 p.m.) and Dance over Anaheim (6:45 p.m.).

Ben plays original tunes combined with sung and spoken word. He also has a growing library of cover tunes, jazz tunes, hip-hop, rock and children's tunes. To thicken his "one man show" Benjamin incorporates a guitar synthesizer along with electronic looping. The result is a full, richpresentation of beautifulsound. For a preview, check out www.benprattmusic.com.

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has selected Dance Over Anaheim, a local teen band with members from Cheyenne Mountain and Palmer High Schools, to move on to the finals of the SchoolJam USA teen battle of the bands competition. The nationwide contest, sponsored by NAMM, is designed to encourage teen bands across the United States to demonstrate their musical talents and enjoy the many proven benefits of making music.

The third-Thursday free Showcase at Studio Bee concerts are held each month in, of course, Studio Bee at the Pikes Peak Center, 190 South Cascade Avenue - thanks to a collaboration with KRCC, COPPeR, the Gazette, the Independent, Independent Records and the Pikes Peak Center. The Showcase features some of the best in local musical talent performing original music; all artists are homegrown talent from El Paso, Teller, and Pueblo counties who write their own music and have produced an album.