FARMINGTON — Some local merchants are happy with their holiday sales this year. They saw some customers going back to basics but still enjoying the holidays.

From winter clothing to family games, ukuleles and even Christmas trees, holiday sales locally were traditional but for the most part better than last year.

“It was absolutely a stronger year,” Assistant Manager Scott Shink at Farmington’s Hannaford store said. Shoppers filled the store and parking lot last Thursday as they gathered ingredients for their holiday favorites.

“People were out buying. They’ve had enough and were ready to enjoy the holidays,” he said.

A lot of winter clothing, including wool socks, boots and mittens, along with leisure items such as sleds, toys and family games were purchased at Renys over the holiday season, Assistant Manager Pat Reynolds said.

“It seemed like people were going back to the basics,” she said.

Many were purchasing a gift for a family rather than for individual members this year, she said, describing baskets created around a theme such as items for birds or a basket filled with games and popcorn for a family night.

People were also getting ready for a “nice Maine winter,” she added. The second day after Christmas didn’t disappoint on the winter front, though the storm Monday caused some customers to forgo shopping with their new gift cards, another popular item this season, she said.

Friday and Sunday were busy with pre- and post-holiday shopping. On Monday, most shoppers were looking for shovels and “mad bomber hats,” she said. She said she expects the shopping will continue throughout the week as gift card holders check out marked-down items.

It was a great season for buying books for Christmas, Devaney Doak and Garrett employee Margaux DePue said. The community has supported the downtown bookstore well, she said.

Musical instruments including guitars, violins and ukuleles were popular gift items at Everyday Music on Broadway. Sales of ukuleles have really picked up, owner Ernie Scholl said.

“We’re pleased, although we were hoping to gain a little bit. Sales were about the same as last year,” he said. 

The month started a little above last year, Scholl said, but last week it was a little quieter than hoped for. The big-ticket items were purchased earlier in the month, he said, while questioning how the extended holiday season — now starting in November and earlier — affects the late-December buying.

Scholl’s expecting some after-the-holiday sales to come in this week, although Monday’s storm was not good for business. Overall he’s pleased, he said.

Christmas tree sales also did well this year, as they did last year, Walter Gooley, owner of Conifers Unlimited, a Christmas tree farm, said.

A lack of snow brought more people to the farm to chop their own trees and less to his business site on the Wilton Road this year, but overall it was a good year, he said.

He offers some high-priced trees for up to $80, and some low-priced ones at $8, so there is a tree for everybody, he said.

Busy before the holiday, he was finally putting up his own “Charlie Brown” tree Monday during the storm, he said.

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