DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Now that the holiday shopping season is over, small businesses are reflecting on their successes and challenges in 2022.
Now that the pandemic has passed, small businesses are still dealing with inflation, supply chain issues and weather during the holiday shopping season.
Debbie Staley, owner of Circa for the Home in Centerville, said business will be better in 2022 than in 2021.
“Our sales will definitely go up this year,” Staley said.
Staley said she noticed her customers buying Christmas decorations and gifts earlier this year.
“People were coming in to buy Christmas decorations and presents, and I had to resupply, you know, buy new stuff,” Staley said.
However, last week’s winter storm hurt small businesses as many last-minute shoppers stayed home.
“Those were two very big shopping days for us, especially since Christmas Eve was a Saturday, so the weather on that day hindered our sales,” Staley said.
Chef Liz Valenti, owner of Wheat Penny and Meadowlark, said it’s been a rollercoaster year for the Miami Valley restaurant.
“We were able to remove the masks, but then there were pricing and supply issues,” Valenti said.
Restaurants have learned to adjust their menus and prices to keep up with higher food prices, but that hasn’t stopped customers, Valentie said.
“I think small restaurants in Miami Valley had a strong December,” Valenti said. “People come out, they spend their money, they get a second drink, they get a more expensive entree.”
Omega Music in the Oregon area has been busy during the holiday shopping season, and it’s continuing into this week.
“We’ve had more people come in and spend Christmas money,” said Jack Palapa, head of music change at Omega. “A lot of people from out of town come in and fix their records on a regular basis.”
Parappa said small businesses appreciate their customers shopping at smaller stores in big box stores, and now they’re optimistic about what next year will bring.
“Hopefully there will be more new faces, and we hope to attract more regulars,” Parappa said.
January and February are typically low seasons for small businesses, and business leaders interviewed by 2 NEWS said they are planning events and special promotions to get people in their doors over the next few weeks to keep the momentum going. momentum.