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It was a real lousy year for Mom and Pop

By Andy Campbell
The Brooklyn Paper
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The Brooklyn Paper / Bess Adler
Neither is Mateusz Bohdzia at Heights Kids nearby.
Enlarge this image
The Brooklyn Paper / Bess Adler
James Trinko (left) and Perrin Siegel of Design Within Reach on Montague Street are not pleased with this year’s holiday sales.

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Holiday sales weren’t too jolly for Brooklyn businesses this year.

A spot check of a dozen retailers from Williamsburg to Bay Ridge revealed that business is so bad that they’re struggling just to match their horror show numbers from 2008.

Tomasos Restaurant

“People are looking for discounts at the bigger stores, and I don’t blame them,” said Mike Chang of Upgrade, an electronics store in Bay Ridge.

Of the retailers we interviewed, all but three reported depressed sales, and two of those three said they’re scrambling to meet last year’s poor receipts.

Even the chains are struggling. A manager at Design Within Reach on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights said that she has until Jan. 2 to close a 20-percent gap in sales compared to the last holiday season.

“I don’t believe we’ll be seeing a plus,” said the bed, bath and kitchen shop’s manager, Perrin Siegel. “We’re getting people in here — but things aren’t good.”

But there was some good news, as well as some advice. Idlewild Books in Williamsburg reported improved sales for the holiday, in part because it’s new. An employee who asked not to be named offered a game plan for business trying to push through the hard times.

“It’s all about the people,” he said. “Know your customers and they’ll keep coming back,” he said.

©2009 Community Newspaper Group

←Page 1: Hot on the press!
→Fort Greene: This new LIRR terminal is on a roll

Reader Feedback

Linda from Dyker Heights says:
I'm not surprised by this, when every paper including this one tells everyone to squirrell away their money and look for christmas/new years discounts. If they are saving up there money, the stores won't make a profit.
Dec. 30, 2009, 9:05 am
Susie from Williamsburg says:
You might want to do better research on an article like this one.
Dec. 30, 2009, 6:07 pm
gimme from aroundtheway says:
yawn
Jan. 1, 2010, 1:57 pm
bklyn20 from bklyn hts says:
Design Within Reach has some great stuff, but there are no signs of life there, ever. It's rare to even see any humans moving around the store (including staff.) The window display changes very infrequently. I pass by there basically every weekday, and it's like a tomb.

They need to have an event, a one-hour presentationn on how to coordinate Eames chairs with your Victorian plaster moldings, whatever...just need some signs of life!
Jan. 1, 2010, 8:51 pm
Linda from Dyker Heights says:
Tom and Plop look so sad in the picture. Perhaps if they did something to attract costoumers instead of just moping because they aren't coming, then their business would be doing better.
Jan. 4, 2010, 8:15 am
Harry from Bklyn says:
Linda from Dyker Heights says: "I'm not surprised by this, when every paper including this one tells everyone to squirrell away their money"
People aren't just looking for discounts b/c someone told them to, or because "cheap" became fashionable for arbitrary reasons. Many folks HAVE to watch their $, since they have less of it, job is in jeopardy (or gone), investments/savings are pffft, and they still have same-or-higher expenses.
Jan. 4, 2010, 12:20 pm
Linda from Dyker Heights says:
@Harry,
I really disagree with you. It's very much about trends and feelings. People spend money they don't have during media hyped boom times, and squirell away money they don't need to during over-hyped bust times.

I haven't lost my job, and neither have at least 70 percent of the people I know. We have the same salaries as before, and I don't think we are an anomally. I can definately see that people aren't getting raises like before, but there is no need to start holding on to our money for dear life. Spending stimulates the economy and creates jobs/oppurtunities.

People have the money, they are jsut choosing not to use it - in the same way that before people didn't have money but chose to spend anyway.
Jan. 5, 2010, 3:48 am

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