Less was More in Holiday 2009

Even with the whiff  of relief in the air, the nation is still steeped in Recession Stew. So just how hot were the cash registers of Garden City's own local merchants this holiday season compared to last? 

"We fared pretty well," says Greg Bavaro, owner of the popular Garden City Pizza, of this holiday season's traffic. "The check average was down, but on the flipside the customer count was the same if not higher."

Bavaro says that probably instead of going to 'white tablecloth' dining establishments, people still dined out but at less expensive places and tended to order a bit less than they might in better economic times. In his Franklin Avenue pizzeria, customers were asking for more of the basics and ordering less of the extras, like appetizers. Garden City Pizza also did a lot of off-site catering for parties this year, Bavaro added.

While some stores fared better than others, in general this year there was a "moderate upswing locally that needs to continue," says John Wilton of Garden City Properties, chairman of the Merchant Group, a committee of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce.

The Merchants Group kicked off an aggressive marketing campaign months ago to keep not only village residents shopping in Garden City but to attract neighbors from surrounding communities willing to take advantage of all that the downtown business district has to offer. A smart move right before the holiday season.

Wilton emphasized the importance of supporting local businesses, the same merchants that donate to Garden City's community organizations and fundraisers.

"A vital downtown has such a strong economic engine," says Wilton.

According to Althea Robinson, the chamber's executive director, a meeting will be held in early January to accurately assess data and gather anecdotes from businesses which will help ascertain findings of how stores did this year.

"I believe it's too soon to tell," Robinson says of the overall performance of stores this holiday season.

However the numbers add up for Holiday 2009, it seemed the message to "shop locally" is getting through, says one business owner.

"Locals were loyal," says Bavaro.