What started as a slow holiday shopping season for Evanston businesses ended favorably, according to a report released last week by EVMark, an Evanston downtown marketing organization.
In a survey of approximately 35 of the 186 retailers in Evanston, about two-thirds noticed increases in sales from last year, even though chilly weather and a lack of adequate downtown parking led to initially low expectations, said Martha Rosenberg, EVMark’s director of marketing.
“My overall impression is that we had a better year,” she said. “We were very relieved that the things we were worried about didn’t happen.”
A free trolley circulating around downtown Evanston during late November and December also helped customers get to stores, Rosenberg said.
Among the top items sold during Evanston’s holiday season last year were clothing, accessories, books and electronic devices, the EVMark survey said.
At Active Endeavors, 901 Church St., a clothing and outerwear store, manager Emily Klear said the holiday shopping season was “pretty good” thanks to a cross-town move from 1527 Chicago Ave. in October.
“We have a lot more foot traffic now that we’re a little closer to campus,” she said. “Newer location, better location, and I think, for what direction our company is going in, it’s a much better fit for our company now.”
Klear said the top selling items at her store this season were North Face apparel and some high-end denim.
MP3 players, cell phones and remote-controlled cars were big this season at Radio Shack, 716 Church St., said manager Chad Gravengoed.
“We did better than last year,” he said. “We had holiday traffic and a better assortment of toys and products.”
Not all Evanston businesses experienced significant increases in sales this year.
Kellie Poulos, owner of Asinamali, 1722 Sherman Ave., a store that specializes in women’s apparel, shoes and jewelry, said her store encountered only minimal growth in sales during December.
“I think it had to do with the day that Christmas fell on,” she said. “It fell on a Sunday, and I think a lot of people worked all week. For example, we had a very big day on Christmas Eve, which is usually pretty quiet.”
Top selling items at her store included Michael Stars T-shirts; Neesh sweaters, skirts and jackets; and Frye boots.
Jack Kirk, the manager of Dr. Wax, 1615 Sherman Ave., said that his music business suffered because of a number of factors, including legal and illegal music downloading and the construction of Sherman Plaza between Church and Davis streets in downtown Evanston.
“The week of Christmas was pretty good, but for the most part (the holiday shopping season) was pretty bad,” Kirk said. “The behemoth construction project across the street (has) been killing us all year.”
Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].
