Troy Retailers Enjoy Successful Holiday Shopping Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year – and Troy retailers would have to agree.

With its wide range of shopping venues – from the and to strip malls along Big Beaver and John R – the city of Troy has a lot to offer for residents across Metro Detroit looking for holiday gifts this season.

Michelle Hodges, president of the , said the chamber is constantly promoting Troy as a destination for shopping. "That's the essence of our being, to ensure there is an environment in which people want to shop," she said.

The local retail offerings don't disappoint. Hodges pointed to stores such as at Somerset, which showcases the people, places and products that have shaped the city of Detroit, as a great spot for holiday gifts that celebrate the local region.

"We hope that others will make the many local retailers their destination of choice as they shop for their holiday season," she said.

Hodges said the Somerset Collection alone is responsible for drawing people in from all over the state – and beyond – to shop in Troy. 

"Just look at the license plates in the parking lot," she said. "It really does draw from a large geography."

It's not just retail stores that benefit from the uptick in shopping.

"What does shopping do? It makes us hungry and thirsty," she said. "Most certainly the restaurants benefit, and the hotels as well."

A record-breaking Black Friday

According to a National Retail Federation survey conducted by BIGresearch, traffic and spending on Black Friday weekend this year were up online and in stores, reaching historic highs.

According to the survey, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites, up from 212 million last year. The average holiday shopper spent $398.62 – up from $365.34 last year – with total spending reaching an estimated $52.4 billion.

Somerset Collection spokesman Ed Nakfoor said this year's Black Friday was "the busiest in memory." Although Somerset doesn't release numbers on revenue, Nakfoor called this year's kick-off to holiday shopping "record-breaking."

"It was a phenomenal day and the weekend was extremely busy. The merchants were very pleased," he said, adding that Somerset's unique mix of stores and overall shopping experience makes it a popular destination. "There's nothing else like it in southeastern Michigan."

Shoppers come from near and far

Nakfoor said Somerset draws residents from all across the state and beyond, with shoppers coming in from as far as Flint, Lansing, Toledo and Windsor. He said he expects the stores will remain busy "well into the new year" as guests redeem gift cards and take advantage of after-Christmas sales.

Shelley Darmetko, senior marketing manager for Oakland Mall, agreed mall traffic will stay steadily busy into the new year. 

"It will really start to pick up around the 16th and 17th, the last weekend before Christmas. Traffic will be strong, but then it will really go into full gear that last week," she said.

Shopping starts earlier than ever

Darmetko said Black Friday was a huge success at Oakland Mall as well.

"Our retailers were very happy with their sales. We did have some stores open at midnight, and that was very successful," Darmetko said, adding that the first 100 shoppers were given gift bags, some including surprise gift cards. "We have a great mix of retailers so that you can get all of your shopping done."

According to the national BIGresearch survey, nearly one-quarter of Black Friday shoppers were at the stores by midnight on Black Friday, either waiting for stores to open or visiting retailers that opened Thanksgiving evening. By comparison, the number of people who were at the stores at midnight was 9.5 percent in 2010 and 3.3 percent in 2009.

“The appetite for these early openings is only getting stronger among holiday shoppers, and retailers did a great job providing Americans just what they wanted this weekend – the ability to shop on Black Friday without having to get out of bed before dawn,” said BIGresearch Executive Vice President Phil Rist.

“Consumers are clearly demonstrating their desire to spend this holiday season, and shopping early and often seem to be their new mantra as they seek the best value for all their holiday purchases.”

Nakfoor said shoppers looking to avoid crowds may try to visit as soon as stores open, or during the early evening dinner hours. Weekdays are always less crowded as well, he said.

Local stores see ups and downs

Bill Gerazounis, an owner at Helen's of Troy Gifts and Favors, said business is about the same as previous years' holiday shopping weeks.

"It's been up and down over the last few years," he said, adding that the economy has been a factor, "but it's been generally fairly slow."

Gerazounis said the store specializes in gifts and favors for weddings, baptisms and other events and also has a variety of gift-able items for the holidays, including reasonably-priced ornaments embedded with with Swarovski crystals. He said the store currently has a big sale going on featuring several gift items.

"We're hoping for the best," he said of holiday shopping business. "It's still a couple of weeks away."

Vicki Howard, manager at The Detroit Shoppe, said the store has been open almost a year and was originally intended to only be at Somerset for the holiday season last year. Its popularity has led to the store being open through January 2013, she said.

"Business is great," she said. "It's even better than last year because what we have is repeat customers, and because it is such a success, we have a whole new group of people coming as well."

Howard said shoppers appreciate all of the store's proceeds going to charity as well as the "walk down memory lane" they experience when seeing Detroit brand products like Saunders and Better Made.

"It's a great store to get little token gifts for any occasion or just come down memory lane and just get gifts you just want to have," she said.