NEW YEAR SALES BRING CHEER TO LOCAL SHOPS
New Year sales bring cheer to local shops
PEOPLE in Omagh are becoming more confident about shopping at home, and shops in the town are reporting their best takings at Christmas and over the New Year since the tragic events of August 15.
From ladies fashions to crockery, toys to washing machines, bargain hunters keen to spend their gift vouchers and Christmas money have been trawling the shops looking for keenly priced goods and designer labels.
Sales have been going very well this year for the staff at Menarys, where, notwithstanding the bomb scare on Christmas Eve, the shop had one of the top sales records of the Menarys chain in the province.
According to Mrs Aileen Parke, the manager, Christmas Eve should have been an exceptionally busy day up until closing, but the shop had to shut early, at 3.30pm, and did not reopen.
"When the police came in to put people out the shoppers did not want to go. The police shouted for people to get out -they did not want to take any risks. It was our busiest time, but other than that we are doing very well," Mrs. Parke said.
The New Year sales have also been a boom time, with Saturday and Monday being very busy, and Mrs. Parke said taking were well up on last year.
It was a similar story at Classic Menswear, where sales were reported as "fairly good so far". Christmas was very good for takings, and the manager, Mr. Robbie Watson, said it was probably the shop's best Christmas and New Year period since the bombing.
The trend was repeated at Watterson Bros., where there had been a very busy run-up to Christmas Eve, and it was evident, according to the proprietor, Mr. Tom Watterson, that people were staying at home to shop, which was good news for Omagh.
There was a slow but very steady build up to Christmas and the New Year sales for jewellers, and Mr. Tony Laird, of Laird's Jewellers.
For him and his customers the bomb scare had no real impact as most people had collected their gifts.
"It certainly would have had an effect overall as we could have taken a bit extra over the counter, but at that stage people were starting to gear down and think about going home anyway," he said.
Like other retailers, he said he too had noticed that folk were staying at home to shop.
Advantage
"There are also a few new shops in the town and with all the development that is going on at the moment it should hopefully continue to pick up," Mr. Laird said, adding that one. big advantage that would also help improve things would be a free car park or multi-storey facility close to the town centre.
Supermarkets have also been buzzing, with sales in seasonal goods boosting the takings.
However, Mr. John Wallace, at SuperValu, like others, condemned the actions of those who were responsible for the bomb scare on Christmas Eve.
"It was unpleasant for everyone and caused serious damage to the customers, in addition to being upsetting for them. People were distressed," he said.
Mr. Austin Martin, the drapery manager at Dunnes Stores, said it had been a good season, but the cold weather had impacted on the numbers venturing out of doors. He said sales were on a par with last year, if not up on them.
PEOPLE in Omagh are becoming more confident about shopping at home, and shops in the town are reporting their best takings at Christmas and over the New Year since the tragic events of August 15.
From ladies fashions to crockery, toys to washing machines, bargain hunters keen to spend their gift vouchers and Christmas money have been trawling the shops looking for keenly priced goods and designer labels.
Sales have been going very well this year for the staff at Menarys, where, notwithstanding the bomb scare on Christmas Eve, the shop had one of the top sales records of the Menarys chain in the province.
According to Mrs Aileen Parke, the manager, Christmas Eve should have been an exceptionally busy day up until closing, but the shop had to shut early, at 3.30pm, and did not reopen.
"When the police came in to put people out the shoppers did not want to go. The police shouted for people to get out -they did not want to take any risks. It was our busiest time, but other than that we are doing very well," Mrs. Parke said.
The New Year sales have also been a boom time, with Saturday and Monday being very busy, and Mrs. Parke said taking were well up on last year.
It was a similar story at Classic Menswear, where sales were reported as "fairly good so far". Christmas was very good for takings, and the manager, Mr. Robbie Watson, said it was probably the shop's best Christmas and New Year period since the bombing.
The trend was repeated at Watterson Bros., where there had been a very busy run-up to Christmas Eve, and it was evident, according to the proprietor, Mr. Tom Watterson, that people were staying at home to shop, which was good news for Omagh.
There was a slow but very steady build up to Christmas and the New Year sales for jewellers, and Mr. Tony Laird, of Laird's Jewellers.
For him and his customers the bomb scare had no real impact as most people had collected their gifts.
"It certainly would have had an effect overall as we could have taken a bit extra over the counter, but at that stage people were starting to gear down and think about going home anyway," he said.
Like other retailers, he said he too had noticed that folk were staying at home to shop.
Advantage
"There are also a few new shops in the town and with all the development that is going on at the moment it should hopefully continue to pick up," Mr. Laird said, adding that one. big advantage that would also help improve things would be a free car park or multi-storey facility close to the town centre.
Supermarkets have also been buzzing, with sales in seasonal goods boosting the takings.
However, Mr. John Wallace, at SuperValu, like others, condemned the actions of those who were responsible for the bomb scare on Christmas Eve.
"It was unpleasant for everyone and caused serious damage to the customers, in addition to being upsetting for them. People were distressed," he said.
Mr. Austin Martin, the drapery manager at Dunnes Stores, said it had been a good season, but the cold weather had impacted on the numbers venturing out of doors. He said sales were on a par with last year, if not up on them.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0979
Published Date: 03-Jan-02
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