Upper Valley holiday shopping in full swing

WEST LEBANON, N.H. (WCAX) – Retailers across the region are working to boost sales this holiday shopping season and that includes those in the Upper Valley that are facing a few headwinds.

The all-important holiday shopping season for retailers is in full swing in West Lebanon’s busy 12A shopping corridor, where the big box stores — and the state’s lack of a sales tax — are big draws.

“My wife does most of the shopping and I deliver them,” said Luke Mattern, who crossed the border from Wilder. But the family is among shoppers spending more selectively this holiday season. “I was literally just talking to my son about the winter and money and heat, and gifts and trying to make the world go round.”

The state is looking to bounce back a bit from its summer spending figures according to industry experts. “We heard over the summer being down around 5 to 10 percent and that was in terms of tourism and that tracked over to spending as well. And that was pretty much statewide,” said Tracy Hutchins with the Upper Valley Business Alliance, which has around 500 members in New Hampshire and Vermont.

“Obviously we are always encouraging people to shop locally.”

However, locally owned businesses are also facing challenges, specifically increasing competition online. “After COVID, everyone has seen a decrease in sales,” said Allyson Weiner Sawyer, the owner of the Pink Alligator, a high-end consignment store. She says online shopping does not compare to doing it in person. “So much better to feel the quality, try it on. Nothing fits by number and size anymore.”

The National Retail Federation is predicting retail sales to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% this year over last. Shoppers will be the ones deciding where and how that money is spent. “My family very much tries to buy local and buy American as much as we can,” Mattern said.

Retailers say they are about halfway through the season — one that starts the week of Thanksgiving and begins to die down after the New Year.

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