FARMINGTON – Some businesses saw more sales, while others saw fewer sales this holiday season.
In northern Franklin County, many businesses are just starting their season as winter recreation gets under way.
Donna Hinkley, manager of Kabree’s ES-Scents on Broadway in Farmington, said Wednesday sales of feminine bath and body lotions were up this year.
“Very up,” she said. “This is the best year so far. Everybody loves our lotions.”
All the lotions are made in-house in the lab, she said, and there are 78 different fragrances of lotions on the shelves but they could make 136 lotions.
Hinkley attributed the good sales to more people knowing where they’re located. The store shares space with Farmington Medical Supplies and Services.
“I think more people were in town this year,” Hinkley said. “I found that it was always busy this year, especially the last week.”
Over at Radio Shack on Routes 2 and 4 in Farmington, owner Linda Walter said sales were up more than 10 percent from last year. “It’s good for us,” she said.
“We didn’t do much on toys,” she said, such as remote control vehicles, but a hot seller was Roboraptor, an electronic programmed dinosaur.
“I survived,” Walter said. “We were really busy.”
In Livermore Falls, Foss Jewelry Manager Anne Winter said sales were lower than last year.
“It was not as good as last year,” she said. “Sales were down. I’m sure people are concerned with their heating bills and gas bills. People are shopping at malls.”
People don’t seem to visit the smaller jewelry stores as much as they used to, she said.
Even extending the hours didn’t bring in the customers, though they do have their regulars.
A lot of people shop at bigger retail stores for jewelry for the lower prices, she said. There is a difference in price but there is also a difference in what you’re getting, she said.
Ken Jacques who owns The Ski Depot in Jay with his brother, Ron Jacques, described sales this season as “astronomical.”
“It’s the busiest we’ve ever been in 10 years,” Ken Jacques said Wednesday. “It’s crazy. Snowboards, skis … up, up up.”
Up north, where ski mountains are a big part of the economy, some businesses are now starting to see an increase in sales.
Margie Jamison, owner of the Country Club Inn, said Wednesday that she opened her doors Dec. 26. They had closed for a couple of months during downtime between seasons but did quite a few Christmas parties, she said.
“We’re full. We’ve got beautiful snow as of Wednesday,” she said.
At the Carrabassett Inn & Grill in Carrabassett Valley, owner Mary Jacques said Thursday that she just recently saw an increase in business with people on vacation and visiting the Sugarloaf Mountain ski area.
“Before Christmas, it was slow,” she said. “Businesses up here rely on people coming up to ski. We’re booked.”
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