BOULDER — When McGuckin Hardware kicked off its annual tent sale Thursday, things were looking good for the longtime Boulder hardware and general-merchandise store’s weekend event.
The recession has brought out bargain hunters and fixer- uppers to the store at 2525 Arapahoe Ave., said Randy Barker, McGuckin’s marketing manager.
“Sales are up ever so slightly from the first day a year ago,” Barker said Friday. “I think, to a degree, that kind of runs with the economy in that people are looking for exceptional deals.”
Despite the deals, year-to- date sales are down slightly at the local retail stalwart, a trend felt by the majority of cities and townships in Boulder and Broomfield counties.
Boulder-area municipal coffers took some hits during the first quarter this year as consumers continued to scale back on spending, according to sales-tax-revenue reports from Boulder, Broomfield, Erie, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville and Superior.
The city of Boulder’s year- to-date revenue decrease narrowed to 5.4 percent from the 7 percent year-to-date decline recorded in February. City finance officials said in their March report that it is too early to project any trends from the first-quarter data.
The majority of Boulder’s retail areas are experiencing declining sales, including the nearly 3-year-old Twenty Ninth Street mall, which previously had posted increases.
Sales-tax collections for the Pearl Street mall were down 6 percent for the quarter.
