This is the third part of a series examining the growth, variety and constant change occurring on Madison’s State Street.
The winter holidays are at hand and for downtown Madison retailers, this means sales are up and the halls are decked.
Along the snowflake-lit and evergreen-clad State Street, merchants and retailers are enjoying the steady stream of holiday customers.
Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison, Inc., said the holiday season is a big sales time for the majority of retailers on State Street and in the downtown area. Schmitz noted, from her own experience at DMI, some retailers have reported as much as 30 percent of their yearly sales strictly stemming from holiday sales.
“This year, the Overture Center is giving people a reason to come downtown and check it out, too,” Schmitz said. “People are coming to visit the Capitol and the tree and the outside lights and the trolley. There’s an atmosphere here that people like.”
Chuck Bauer, co-founder and co-owner of The Soap Opera, 319 State St., said the holidays bring an increase in sales for his business, as well as for the retailers neighboring his store along State Street.
“The season is off to a strong start,” Bauer said. “[I]t’s going great this year. State Street is coming around and looking better and better each day.”
Schmitz added the small downtown atmosphere on State Street is not as plastic as many of the mall decorations and themes around the city. The business improvement district funds the evergreens in the State Street planters and also the large snowflake lights down the street.
Mall maintenance working through the Parks Department puts up the decorations for free, Schmitz said.
“We buy the decorations, and [mall maintenance] puts them up. We’re very fortunate for that,” she said.
The Soap Opera also caters to the holiday crowd with a Hanukkah section as well as a number of Christmas-themed items, according to Bauer.
“Apart from things that are specifically labeled for one or more holidays, a lot of our items by nature tend to be gifts because they’re unique or unusual,” Bauer said.
Steep & Brew, 544 State St., is among the numerous coffee shops catering toward the holiday seasons. The coffee shop offers an eggnog latte and a gingerbread latte during the winter.
“A lot of times people just walk in and ask us what the holiday lattes are,” Austin Perkins, assistant manager of Steep & Brew, said. “People are generally interested in them.”
The winter weather has held out this season without snow, but Bauer said customers come to State Street for the old-fashioned outdoor mall feel.
“People like to see the owners in the stores. They like to see that little, out-of-the-ordinary stuff we sell,” Bauer said.
The Soap Opera also offers customized gift-wrapping during the holidays.
Perkins said there have “definitely” been a greater number of people and sales at Steep & Brew in the past few weeks due to the colder weather and daunting exams for University of Wisconsin students.
According to Perkins, the shop has also started hosting open mic nights and local bands, both of which bring people in as well.
The State Street and downtown area also offer gift certificates to a large number of local stores. Downtown Madison Gift Certificates can be purchased at the Overture Center ticket office at 201 State St. or at the University Bookstore information desk.
