Post-holiday sales attempt to bolster challenging season for businesses

The typical image of day-after-Christmas shopping is lines of people returning presents, or snatching up post-holiday bargains.

And while plenty of people were out shopping for bargains, a midday visit to Wal-Mart, Target, Gottschalks, Pier 1, Old Navy, and Bed, Bath & Beyond showed very few people returning gifts.

The same could be said for the smaller, locally owned stores as well.

"The small gift stores seem to have fared well over this holiday season with little or no returns on this Friday," said Ronnie Hannaman, executive director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.

Stores like Craft Mart and Greenhouse Garden Center have big discounts on their leftover holiday decorations and other items.

Nationwide, 2008 was one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades, according to estimates from the National Retail Federation.

But Sue Jones, who with husband Stan own the Purple Avocado store in downtown Carson City, said business was good despite the economic challenges.

"Our Christmas season was great," Jones said. "It was a touch less than previous years, but we were extremely happy."

Jones said that she didn't see much in the way of returns, but that they "aren't the kind of store people return stuff to."

She said several people came in Friday for half-off Christmas ornaments, and some others who had put off celebrating Christmas until New Years were taking advantage of the bargains.

"It seems like a lot of people were shopping locally this year, and we are blessed and thankful for that," she said.

Plan Bee Family Furniture was hoping that their after-Christmas sale would help make up for a lackluster Christmas.

"The holiday season was slow, really slow," said Rudy Thiele, owner of Plan Bee on North Carson Street, which sells furniture, artworks and home furnishings.

Thiele said all their Christmas ornaments and decorations are 75 percent off. "It will never be this cheap again," he said.

- Contact reporter Kirk Caraway at kcaraway@nevadaappeal.com or 775-881-1261.