Fourth of July Delivers Sales, Travelers

Fourth of July spending was down from years previous, but stores and restaurants along Beverly Hills' main thoroughfares seem to have escaped the hit.

Sales associates at Club Monaco, Gap and other chain outlets on Beverly Drive reported a substantial customer presence, likely due to store-wide sales offering discounts on everything from denim to shoes.

"Fitting room lines were practically out the door," said one Club Monaco salesclerk.

Managers at Crumbs Bake Shop and Pinkberry frozen yogurt reported long lines comprised of locals and visitors alike, all content to wait for their sweet treats, especially as lingering June gloom gave way to abundant afternoon sunshine.

In addition to the holiday traffic, bars and restaurants also benefited from the weekend's World Cup quarterfinal matches.

"We were definitely more crowded than usual, especially in the morning during the games," said Cheesecake Factory hostess Katherine Thompson. "That plus the lunch and dinner rush of tourists kept us busy all weekend."

Area hotels like the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive and the Crescent Hotel were also at capacity, and guests seemed to be taking advantage of area amenities.

"We've been to Los Angeles before, but never stayed in Beverly Hills," said Matthew Wilson, whose family spent three nights at the Crescent Hotel, a boutique property at the Crescent Drive and Brighton Way intersection.

"Overall, we were really pleased with the decision to stay here," Wilson said. "We walked from our hotel to Beverly and Rodeo drives and definitely made an effort to check out as many stores and restaurants as we could."

Both the Luxe and Crescent hotels are running summer specials that should keep them in demand through Labor Day.

High-end retailers on Rodeo expected more visitors but not necessarily more sales, and this seemed to hold true. An employee at the Chanel boutique noted that sales of that brand's pricey handbags and accessories were not higher than usual.

According to AAA, leisure air travel increased 8.2 percent from last year's Independence Day holiday, despite a 13 percent increase in average airfares. AAA also estimated daily car rental rates and hotel room prices would increase about 4 percent from last year's prices.