By Anthony Varriano
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
The holiday shopping season has come to a close and despite plunging temperatures and more snow falling than in recent years, local retailers reported sales to be on par or better than last year.
Chuck Bondley of Koch Furniture called it “another good year” when it comes to the sales of both furniture and flooring products. Bondley said the holiday shopping season for furniture starts in mid-November and ends a little earlier “because people are getting their homes ready for company.”
“The one thing we’ve been selling a lot of the last two or three years are the electric fireplaces,” he said.
K-mart assistant manager Aaron Sanchez said weather wasn’t a problem and that the store did business as expected, adding that the store’s seasonal department did the most business, with indoor and outdoor lights and decorations flying off the shelves.
“Every day I thought no one would show up because of the cold, but every day we were pretty packed,” he said.
Laura Gluekert of The Enchanted Room echoed Sanchez’s sentiments, saying weather wasn’t an issue.
“If people want to get out of town, they find a way to get out of town. I’m very appreciative that local people came here and found that unique gift,” she said.
Gluekert said their furniture sale went well, and that their “standalone Christmas inventory” and quilts always sell well during the holiday season. The busiest days at The Enchanted Room over the holidays were Black Friday and the Christmas open house held during Zonta, she said.
“A lot of our business comes from out-of-town people because I really think The Enchanted Corner is a unique shopping experience,” she said.
Gluekert added that the outdoor decor at Enchanted Living, including the decorated tree and Glendive Nursery next door, helped bring people into the stores once they crossed the bridge into downtown Glendive. Now she’s looking forward to their annual after-Christmas sale.
In the first year of the Holiday Marketplace, located at the Glendive Greenhouse, Kara Fleharty Schultz called the inaugural shopping season “great” and thanked locals and visitors from the surrounding area for visiting and shopping locally.
Runnings store manager Shelley Harper said weather might have extended their holiday shopping season, with Black Friday and Dec. 26 being the busiest days at the store. Harper also informed that “sporting goods and grills were really popular this year” and that numbers were “definitely up” from last year.
Weather effected sales at Ace Ranch and Farm and Yellowstone Recreation, but in a good way. Ranch and Farm owner Harold Simard said cold weather clothing and snowblowers were their best sellers in December “once the weather changed.”
“The month’s not over yet so I haven’t seen the numbers, but I would guess we’re a little ahead or about even with last year,” he explained.
Paul Smelser of Yellowstone Recreation said while he had just “a few customers” buying big toys this holiday season, the weather can bring in people who sustain damage to their recreational vehicles.
“We had a better season than expected … actually the weather’s been good for us because people keep breaking plows and things,” he said.
That influx of business for replacement parts and repairs will likely continue with snow expected Sunday and Monday, and temperatures to be in the single digits.
Many vendors, like Steve Bury of Hell Creek Music and More, expected holiday spending to be down due to the oil boom ending, so most were pleasantly surprised by the foot traffic and spending during the season of giving.
Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.