Shoppers throughout the country are expected to show up en masse today for early-bird bargains at discount stores and shopping malls. But things will be considerably more subdued at independently owned stores like Crybaby Ranch on Larimer Square in downtown Denver.
“It’s not our biggest day, but we’re still hoping that someday it will be,” said store owner Roxanne Thurman. “I think the malls tend to capitalize on it more.”
Although national retailers expect to open their doors to 137 million shoppers through this weekend, independent retailers such as Thurman say the post-Thanksgiving hype tends to pass them by.
Many say they are counting on slow and steady business throughout the holidays, and some are banding together to host special events intended to steer shoppers into their stores.
“It’s definitely a day for the Wal-Marts and places doing the big discounts,” said Jennifer Roberts, owner of Composition, a modern lifestyle store in Lakewood’s Belmar shopping district. “A lot of local stores can’t really afford to make those same type of offers.”
Roberts, who recently relocated her store from Lower Downtown, is organizing a “local shopping night” at Belmar. Locally based retailers at the center will offer special discounts and events for residents and employees Dec. 7.
Bridget Dornbirer, owner of Petite Patoot children’s clothing store on South Broadway, has teamed up with two neighboring businesses, Divino Wine and Firefly Photography, to offer holiday events and discounts the weekend of Dec. 1-3.
“These are two businesses that are right next to us,” Dornbirer said. “I think they are wonderful, and I would want our customers to know about them. I expect we’ll get a bump from it because we’ll be offering good discounts on really great merchandise.”
Both groups are following a national trend, as independent retailers join forces to grab their share of the holiday spending.
“More and more independent stores realize the need to band together across sectors,” said Jennifer Rockne, director of American Independent Business Alliance, which is based in Bozeman, Mont.
This month, the group promoted its third annual “Unchain America” day. The event Saturday was designed to encourage shoppers to do business for an entire day exclusively with local retailers.
“We try to place locally owned businesses in people’s consciousness before the events and the barrage of advertising kind of colonizes in people’s minds,” Rockne said. “The last quarter of the year can really make or break the beginning of the next year for an independent business.”
Although today will be predictably slow for many independent retailers, shop owners say they’ll still have extra staff on hand. They’ve also got high hopes for the holiday season.
“We expect a great holiday season based on the trends we’ve been seeing,” said Dave Morton, co-owner of high-end clothiers Andrisen Morton and Andrisen Morton Women’s. “Our total business is up in the mid-teens.”
Shoppers in the luxury market aren’t bargain hunters, so Morton relies on his store’s reputation for service and its relationships with loyal clients to drive holiday sales. Holiday business typically starts in earnest on the night of Andrisen Morton’s shopping benefit for the Children’s Hospital, which this year will take place Wednesday.
At Crybaby Ranch, the holiday bump in business doesn’t typically occur until somewhere between Dec. 6 and 10.
“It seems like it comes later every year,” Thurman said.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-954-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
