ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Streets packed with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping just a few weeks ago have mostly emptied.
“It’s a time when the store slows down, but it’s a very busy time for the behind the scenes,” said Doloris Vest, co-owner of the downtown Roanoke bookshop Book No Further.
Many shops have cut down on hours or closed for anywhere between a few days to a few weeks to cool off from the busiest and most important month of the year.
“It is critical for all retail; the fourth quarter is critical; December is critical,” said Melissa Mays, co-owner of Chocolatepaper, another popular shop located on downtown Roanoke’s Market Street.
December alone allows businesses to survive the doldrums of a post-holiday time.
For many businesses, the final month of the year was a good one.
“It seemed a little bit slower starting out,” said Vest. “It didn’t pick up in late-October like it usually does but it really picked up with Small Business Saturday and we were busy right until the last minute on Christmas Eve.”
“We had a great December,” said Mays. “We had a lot of traffic, a lot of excitement, a lot of energy downtown and here at the store and we were up five percent for the year.”
In recent years, even the end of the holidays has not completely emptied out the stores.
“They receive money for gifts or gift certificates and they’re in here shopping, or they’re trying to start something new or learn something new for the new year,” said Vest.
“We are seeing traffic every day,” said Mays. “We have our regulars that come in or work down here or bring their family in for the weekend. We have people taking the train up from Lynchburg just for the day to visit.”
Downtown Roanoke Incorporated has events in the works to help local shops through the slower time of year, including local restaurant week later in January.