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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels November 29, 2004 City stores swell over holiday By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings Shoppers came out in force over the Thanksgiving weekend throughout the country, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Shoppers descended on the plaza Friday, traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. Stores throughout downtown said business was booming as shoppers took advantage of sales, like Rare Earth's fall sale, throughout the weekend. Andrew Mariman Ashland Daily Tidings While Ashland may not have a mall, Target or a Wal-Mart, its own unique blend of specialty shops and festive holiday atmosphere lured many consumers to downtown Ashland. At Nimbus, a clothing store on the Plaza, business was quite steady over the Thanksgiving weekend, especially on Friday, said owner Ken Silverman. "It was definitely busy," he said. "It was like it is in the summer." Although Thanksgiving weekend was busy, he said the store normally receives more business near Christmas. While the holiday season brings in a steady amount of revenue, business is at its best from June to September when the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is in full swing, Silverman said. He estimated he receives about 50 percent of his business during those four months, and the rest during the remaining eight months. Many locals and people throughout the region visit his shop and Ashland during the holiday season, Silverman said. "It's just a nice place to shop," Silverman said. "It's not cavernous. You get a lot of attention here. It's more traditional. It's an experience people yearn for." At Paddington Station on East Main Street, business was going very well, said co-owner Don Hammond. The store was packed all day Friday, he said. Hammond estimated sales were up 5 to 6 percent from Thanksgiving weekend an year ago, which bodes well for the rest of the holiday season. "It's been a good start to the Christmas season," he said. For a new store, steady business during the holiday season can be crucial. At The Spot, a music, movie and video game store which opened about a month ago on Second Street, business was booming on Friday, said co-owner Ian Bezzant. "It's been really good," he said. "People have been really interested in the sales." He said having the town's annual Festival of Light and Grand Illumination on Friday played a big part in the increased business and helped get the word out about the store. "It was packed," Bezzant said. "People were funneling in from the parade. It went really well." On Saturday, business was slow, but Bezzant said he hoped positive word of mouth would help them have steady business throughout the holiday season. He added that business had doubled in the past two weeks. Barbara Sarrii of Seattle was visiting friends here for Thanksgiving and spent Friday looking for gifts for Hanukkah downtown. "It's just been so pleasant and wonderful to shop here," she said. "In Seattle, everything is so big, crowded and unwelcoming." For Cynthia Morgan of Medford, shopping in Ashland the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition. Each year, she and her sisters have lunch, go shopping, and watch the parade. Morgan said she likes the atmosphere at Ashland shops, compared to going to the mall in Medford, and can find interesting items such as a Curious George flashlight. "You can definitely find more fun and unusual things here than at other places," she said. "It's unique." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams