It's the most wonderful time of the year for small businesses as shoppers flock to their stores for gifts and deals.
The holiday shopping season has left businesses and shoppers alike with fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, due to Thanksgiving falling on its last possible date in 2024.
While a delayed Thanksgiving won't happen again until 2030, small business owners in Wheaton and St. Charles said the shorter season appears to get shoppers in the doors faster.
“You know we had five fewer days than we normally have, and Thanksgiving was pretty late, but I think the good part of that is we started out strong,” said Jill Card, owner of Jeans And A Cute Top Shop in Wheaton and St. Charles. He said. “I like that the panic started a little early, and it works.”
Card has 15 years of experience in the holiday shopping season.
“It was festive, it was crowded,” she said. “Everything happened so quickly, we hit the ground running.”
This year, her customers gravitated towards jeans and festive clothing.
“We have bows on jewelry, we have bows on jackets,” she said.
20% of their annual sales occur during the holiday shopping rush, proving to be critical to success.
Stores across the street are seeing similar results for the short season.
“We were walking nonstop,” said Elizabeth DeJohn, owner of Wildflower Mercantile in Wheaton. “With consumers knowing they were going to get a shorter window, it gave them permission to start shopping sooner.”
Di John's has extended its hours and is open seven days a week due to the holiday rush.
As a first-time business owner, she said this time of year means everything for small businesses.
“We thrive on it. It's really make or break to be honest with you,” she said. “It sets us up to be able to get into the community and bring new merchandise into our store…and that means the world to us.”
Thanksgiving and Christmas were only 27 days apart this year, five days fewer than last year. Thanksgiving will fall on November 28 approximately every five to six years. The next time this happens will be in 2030, and not again until 2041.
