Following a busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend, a number of Spokane-area retailers say they are on track for stronger holiday sales this year than they had last year.  

The National Retail Federation said in October that it expects sales in November and December to increase 3.6 percent to $655.8 billion this year, above the 10-year average annual increase of 2.5 percent. 

Daryl Rheingans, general manager of the Spokane Valley Mall, says, “We’re definitely up for the year, and I would expect our sales will mirror the NRF’s predicted increase, with sales here increasing at least 3 percent.”

He says the NRF’s holiday sales report also indicated that over 50 percent of shoppers had started their holiday shopping prior to Thanksgiving, a trend he noticed here.

“Traffic picked up in the last two weeks of November,” he says. “People are shopping early, and we expect it to be a good year, very busy.” 

Rheingans says that from a leasing perspective, 2016 has been a strong year for the Spokane Valley Mall, with several stores taking on expansion or remodeling projects. 

“It’s been a busy year for us with some stores relocating or expanding, and others just opening,” he says.  

The NRF also reported that 23 percent of polled consumers are planning to spend more this holiday season than last, and non-store sales are expected to increase between 7 percent and 10 percent this year. 

The organization predicted retailers will hire between 640,000 and 690,000 seasonal workers for this holiday season, in line with last year’s 675,300 new holiday positions.

Doug Tweedy, a Spokane-based regional labor economist with the Washington state Employment Security Department, says seasonal retail hires in Spokane County are tracking well ahead of last year’s holiday ramp-up.

 “Right now, we’re looking at a 3 percent increase in seasonal hires over last year,” he says. “We can assume that increase in seasonal employment means businesses are expecting higher seasonal sales.”

Tweedy says the increase in seasonal hires includes added positions in transportation and warehousing work connected with online purchases.

“It’s not just traditional retail hires anymore, but things like transportation and warehousing delivery,” he says. “This year, we can expect to see an added 1,000 jobs related to the holiday retail trade.”

The NRF reported 74 percent of customers planned to shop over the Thanksgiving weekend, with nearly half saying they intended to shop on Saturday, and 24 percent saying they intended to shop for Small Business Saturday specifically. 

A number of small businesses here seemed encouraged by the Thanksgiving weekend turnout, and expect high sales to continue into the Christmas season. 

John Waite, owner of both Auntie’s Bookstore and Merlyn’s Comics & Games in downtown Spokane, says both stores saw increased sales over Thanksgiving weekend, compared with the previous year.

“Black Friday is never great for us, as big box stores hold more interest, but Saturday and Sunday were great at Auntie’s and Merlyn’s,” he says. 

Waite says he hopes to make sales gains this year over the Christmas holiday, as more people are looking to buy local. 

“With Hastings Entertainment being gone, we expect people to try Auntie’s and Merlyn’s for books, games, comics, and gifts,” he says. 

While it’s hard to tell what items might be popular gifts, Waite says so far “Paint by Sticker” books seem like they will be big items this year, along with coloring books. 

Denielle Waltermire-Stuhlmiller, owner of Spokane Valley-based retail shop Simply Northwest Inc., says her business also had a good turnout for Small Business Saturday. 

“It was a great day,” she says. “It’s so encouraging to see all the people out and about, shopping small and supporting area businesses.”

Waltermire-Stuhl-miller says sales so far this year are up by a small percentage, and the shop has seen more foot traffic, having expanded its retail section to include items from other local vendors. 

“Some customers who haven’t been in for a while are pleasantly surprised, I think, to see our larger inventory on the retail side,” she says. “We’ve got that many more unique gifts to offer now.” 

Meanwhile, other retailers say the romantic tone of the holidays continues to drive some of their sales, including specialty items like engagement rings. 

Brian Toone, owner of Jewelry Design Center here, says young men often stop by hoping to purchase two gifts in one.

“Right now, we’re only about six months from summer, which is a nice time for weddings,” he says. “A lot of guys also err on the practical side, figuring they’ll save a little buying for two occasions at once.” 

Toone says sales at the business are at a record high this year, remaining consistent over the past weekend. 

“We’ve been trending up for several months now, and I’m optimistic for the remaining holiday season,” he says. 

In addition to breaking sales records, Toone says the business also added a Tri-Cities store this summer, and 2017 will mark its 40th anniversary.

 “People are now wanting more unique pieces, and we offer custom design,” he says.