401 W. Main Street, Waukesha, WI
262-522-6707

Katydids in the Freeman- Dec 19th

Christmas sales increase in downtown Waukesha

Customers coming from Brookfield, Elm Grove

By Katherine Michalets and Sarah Millard
Freeman Staff



    WAUKESHA – During the last three weeks, when Michael Fillus-Sherman closed out the registers at The Potter’s Shop this holiday season, sales have been double compared with the same period last year.
    December’s Art Crawl left him with twice as many purchases than the December 2008 Art Crawl, he said.
    With five shopping days left, several businesses in downtown Waukesha are reporting an increase in Christmas sales compared with last year. Fillus-Sherman attributed the increase to the continuous development in the growing community.
    Norm Bruce, owner of Martha Merrell’s Books & Cafe, said his Christmas sales have increased more than 30 percent compared with last year. His store shares the same space as Cuddles, whose owner, Sally Shoemaker, said her business has seen a little more than 20 percent increase over last year’s Christmas sales.
    “Right now, we’d be slightly over the 2007 levels,” Bruce said.
    He said he’s entering 25 percent to 30 percent more new people in his membership program. Many of those people are coming from Brookfield and Elm Grove.
    Bruce credits the increase to an enhanced community spirit that started over the summer with Freeman Friday Night Live, group advertising and Silver Bells organized activities.
    “The sense of community has continued to grow,” he said, “a sense of community that you want to come and be here.”
Silver Bells campaign key
    Ads for downtown Waukesha have included a slogan encouraging people to come downtown. Martha Merrell’s and Cuddles have been a part of downtown group ads.
    “The real key is what’s been done with Silver Bells,” Bruce said.
    Silver Bells has organized numerous weekend events leading up to Christmas, including pictures with live reindeer, pictures with Santa and breakfast, both at Martha Merrell’s and Cuddles, strolling carolers and carriage rides.
    The Potter’s Shop has expanded its repeat business clients and is seeing many of those customers shopping at the store for their Christmas presents, Fillus-Sherman said.
    “It only slowed down last winter,” Fillus-Sherman said. “Our summer has been the best that it has been in the last five years. Our growth overall in 2009 is better than the year before.
    “There has been a continual g rowth,” Fillus-Sher man said. “We did not feel the recession here.”
Little things add up
    Even though sales and customers have increased, Fillus-Sherman found in June that typically popular lower-priced items, such as coffee mugs, weren’t selling. He slashed prices 20 percent and business boomed in July, he said.
    The smaller-ticket items have been pulling the business through the economic recession.
    “That has been the bread and butter here,” Fillus-Sherman said.
    Katydids does not yet have data about holiday sales, but owner Katie Stewart believes her business has increased compared with last year.
    Katydids reopened downtown in November 2008, which could contribute to the additional sales, she said.
    Although Stewart thinks her business is doing OK, she said it has been a conservative Christmas and she hopes to make enough profits to head into 2010.
    “People are purchasing lower-priced gifts, but they are still finding something for everyone on their list,” she said. “We are not selling bigticket items but little purchases add up.”
    E-mail: kmichalets@conleynet.com,
    smillard@conleynet.com 

Quincy Lehmann of Waukesha puts several bags in her car Friday after shopping at Katydids, 401 W. Main St.,Waukesha.



    Kevin Harnack/Freeman Staff
Debbie Ebert of Pewaukee looks over Christmas decorations Friday while shopping at Katydids, 401 W. Main St. in Waukesha. Several downtown retailers have noticed an increase in profits this holiday season.


Kevin Harnack/Freeman Staff
Kelly and Mark Heisman of Hartland look over items for sale Friday while shopping at The Potter’s Shop, 335 W. Main St., in Waukesha. Several downtown retailers have noticed an increase in profits this holiday season.