Some stores showing signs of life

The cooler weather and bevy of Halloween shoppers have caused some local stores to enjoy something of a sales boost.

Those trends also are happening nationally. For the week ending Oct. 17, large chain stores showed the strongest year-over-year improvement since August 2008, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Some local businesses have seen those trends, but others haven't.

"It's been steady slow," said Joe Weeks, owner of Weeks Hardware in Brooksville. "I haven't seen any revival anywhere."

Around the corner from Weeks is Sweet T Boutique, which sells women's clothes and embroidery.

Co-owner Heather Tuttle has seen an increase in traffic and recently extended her hours to 5 p.m.

"We were definitely picking up for a while," she said. "Halloween is (coming) and so is Christmas. We've already started showing some stockings."

Among the stores in downtown Brooksville, the businesses that diversify their services are performing the best.

Sweet T Boutique's embroidery business is thriving because people are looking to change the designs on what they already own versus buying new items. It is a cheaper way to redecorate, Tuttle said.

"We see people bringing in stuff they own instead of buying our stuff, but that's still great," she said.

Retail chains nationwide showed a 2.8 percent year-over-year improvement, according to figures released Tuesday by ICSC. It was the sixth-consecutive week retailers showed an increase.

It also was the fourth consecutive time the big chains showed week-over-week improvements.

Retail analysts have warned of a sluggish Christmas season. Some have predicted severe, long-term consequences from the ongoing recession - one that will cause millions of consumers to permanently change their shopping habits.

Deanna Yardas is one local store owner with a positive outlook heading toward the holidays. She runs Ida Lillies, which opened along Main Street a month ago.

She timed her opening toward the end of the summer, which is the slowest part of the year. When the weather cooled, Yardas noticed a larger crowd at the local farmer's market Saturday. That made an impact on her sales, she said.

Ida Lillies is an antiques store, but it also sells modern decor to appeal to younger shoppers and offers classes on scrapbooking, pottery and sewing.

"In this economy, people might not be able to buy it, so they might like to learn how to make it," Yardas said of the classes she offers. "You've really got to try to make your business as diverse as possible."

Alisa Patterson owns Lines and Designs, which has a store front along South Broad Street. Recovery has been more elusive for her business.

"We're struggling like most of the country," she said. "We're so connected to the housing market and that just hasn't rebounded yet."

Sean M. Kessler, a sales manager for Builder Services Alliance out of Brooksville, was sorting through samples inside Patterson's store Wednesday afternoon. He is hearing the same stories from other suppliers.

"Those who say they are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel didn't get hurt as much as the rest of us," he said. "The hole wasn't as deep for them to dig out of."