By SARI ZEIDLER
Bellmore-Merrick small business owners are reporting lower December sales than in previous years. They note, however, that they expected to take a hit during the holiday season, with the economy bottoming out in recent months.
Owen Clancy, owner of Clancy's Wine and Spirits on Jerusalem Avenue in Bellmore, said the official announcement that the U.S. had fallen into a recession, on Dec. 1, hurt business. "That was the kiss of death," Clancy said. "A lot of people are scared they're going to lose their jobs in the next two months. A lot of people said their spouses took a 10 percent to 20 percent pay cut to keep a job."
Clancy had not yet calculated his December sales, though he said business was off. In addition to seeing fewer customers, he said, "They traded down big time to meet their pocketbooks. They go with the $8 bottle of wine instead of the $20 bottle."
Alan Baldner, owner of Jeffrey Alan Jewelers on Merrick Avenue, said it had been imperative to finish construction of his store in order to hold the grand opening by December. He opened the shop a week after Thanksgiving without a fully finished back room, and on Dec. 17 he had a trunk show featuring Lecil Henderson products. Many weeks earlier, during the Merrick Street Fair, he had handed out promotional materials outside his storefront. Baldner, a jeweler for more than 20 years, said, "I'm not a salesman -- I'm learning to be."
Monica Tarantino, co-owner of A Taste of Home Bakery on North Jerusalem Road in North Bellmore, said, "We are a holiday business, and people still came in."
Tarantino acknowledged that the slowed economy affected sales, but she said that Taste of Home did well by offering seasonal community activities such as gingerbread house decorating and in-store appearances by Santa. "Those were very positive activities that gave people a fun night out," Tarantino said.
Meanwhile, the owner of a nearby liquor store, who declined to give her name, said sales were down by 15 percent, even though liquor and wine are often favorite holiday gifts and staples at celebrations.
Knowing how critical December sales are to merchants, the Joint Chambers of Commerce of Nassau County held a news conference at the Queen of Hearts dress shop on Merrick Avenue in Merrick on Dec. 11, urging shoppers to patronize local businesses during the holidays. Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg, Assemblyman David McDonough and spokespeople from area chambers cited tax relief and community support as reasons to visit downtown business districts rather than malls and Web sites for holiday shopping.
In an interview on Jan. 2, Joint Chambers of Commerce President E. Christopher Murray said, "I think all businesses, including the downtowns, were pretty much off this year, but I think that's pretty much related to the economy."
"We hoped we put in enough advertisements that people shopped locally," said Marian Fraker-Gutin, co-president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce. She mentioned that chamber Co-President Margaret Mueller is in the restaurant business -- the owner of R.S. Jones on Merrick Avenue in Merrick. "I'm in real estate and real estate is crummy," Fraker-Gutin said, "but I think in the restaurant she did OK."
Many business owners said they didn't have final figures for December sales, and are hoping to boost business in January, a notoriously slow month. "December is our best month of the year, and January is our worst," said Clancy. "We're just trying to figure it out."
Comments about this story? Szeidler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
