The skies were gray and the streets of downtown Chico wet from recent storms the day before Christmas Eve, but that wasn’t enough to stop the tide of holiday commerce.
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for retail, and many downtown stores were buzzing with activity.
Andrea Piland, owner of Piland’s Cards and Games, said she's seen more holiday shoppers this year.
"Many people are splurging on collectible items and things they would not normally splurge on because of what the economy is doing,” Piland said. “When you're in retail, you will see when we have elections and certain parties ahead of the world, you'll see highs and lows.”
Trent Walsh, owner of BaT Comics and Games, said many shoppers visited downtown once they realized it was too late to buy presents online. Still, he said it’s hard to say how this year went compared to seasons past.
"It's always busy. Was it busy enough?” Walsh said. “If you looked at my store this last week, you’d say, ‘Wow, you did great, yeah!’ But last year I did a little better … I think until you look at the numbers, it'll be hard to say whether it was good enough.”
Walsh said business has been slightly slower than usual, though his store has sold some more expensive items. He said he’s part of several trade organizations, and business owners outside of California seem to be more optimistic.
"Mostly people seem to be pretty positive with the economy,” Walsh said. “But then when I talk to local owners and everything, they tend to be — not all of them, but in general — they tend to be less positive.”
Christy Sullivan, owner of the vintage clothing and costume store Alter Ego, said this year has been difficult.
"I've had days where I didn't even sell $100 worth of stuff. I had days in December where I didn't sell anything,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the cost of rent downtown and rising electricity costs are also a challenge. She said events like the Christmas tree lighting and the Thursday Night Market have helped bring in more customers, but that more needs to change to help the downtown area grow.
Multiple business owners said they hoped to see funding to revitalize downtown Chico in some way or another. Many said their customers complain about the lack of available parking.
Others said the lack of public restrooms also kept customers away.
