News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
There are plenty of shoppers in Sisters. Retailers are striving to serve up their wants and needs.
As Sisters enters its busiest retail weekend of the year with the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, the downtown shopping district of town is striving to maintain its vitality.
Four new retailers joined the ranks of Sisters merchants this spring, giving a boost to a corridor that has struggled with empty storefronts.
The health of Sisters' retail community is a mixed bag, according to Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Erin Borla.
"I've got some businesses saying that they're doing great - better than they've ever done," she told The Nugget. "Others, not so great."
More successful retailers are responding to a shift in customer spending patterns. Patrons continue to be conservative with their cash, and they are looking for value. Not necessarily bargains, but something of quality and meaning.
"Those that have a niche product are doing very well," says Borla. She believes one key to success is presenting "products that are different and unique... they only can get in Sisters."
That may be a handcrafted work of art or a "homemade" product or craft foods or drink.
Sisters economic development manager Mac Hay notes that retailers large and small across the nation are faced with the need to reorient their products and adapt to stay alive in a changing environment.
"Not just here," he said of the shifts in retailing. "Everywhere. Retail is resetting. If they don't reset, they're goners."
Borla noted that "people are not spending as they typically would on things; they're spending on experience," often oriented around outdoor recreation. People are willing to spend money, but they are looking to create memories, not collect "stuff."
That poses a bit of a problem for retailers: after all, they're in the business of selling things. Some are finding success in selling things that are related to recreation experiences.
Last Friday, Eurosports entertained a steady flow of customers looking for gear for their outdoor adventures.
Leslie Thies of Portland was shopping for a bike helmet.
"I needed a new helmet," she said. "I looked all over Portland and this is where I found what I was looking for - the right color and style."
She was happy to support a local business.
"I do love buying from a smaller shop any time I can," she said.
Thies' family was in Sisters visiting relatives and enjoying hiking and paddle boarding.
Owner Brad Boyd fielded questions about bikes and about the coolest (in both senses of the term) mountain lakes to visit.
He reports the strongest spring and early summer Eurosports has experienced since 2008.
"We're not back to '08 levels yet, but we're having our best spring since '08," he said. "This year is busier than last year; last year was busier than the year before that."
Boyd believes that "the word has gotten out" about riding opportunities like McKenzie Pass and the Peterson Ridge Trail, and that is driving an increase in recreation-oriented tourism, largely from the Willamette Valley.
"We're seeing Portland, Corvallis, Eugene," he said. "We're seeing some California, not a ton unless they've got connections here. Those people are starting to be back to spending money. They're not throwing it away, but they're spending some money."
Across town at Blazin Saddles, Casey Meudt confirms that recreational activity is up - way up.
"This is a perfect example," he said, grabbing a handful of recreation maps. "They've been exponentially higher in sales (over last year). I anticipate selling six times as many maps - which tells you there's more outdoor recreation."
Meudt also credits locals for helping to boost sales. He believes years of campaigning by local gyms to promote an active lifestyle have had an effect. More and more people are climbing on a bike. Events like the Sisters Stampede and Ride for Two Rivers help, too.
"Bikes are in the newspaper almost every week now," he said.
Cycling is gaining a high profile, but water recreation and hiking are also popular. Fishing - particularly fly fishing - continues to lure folks out to Sisters Country's lakes and streams... and shops.
Perhaps less visibly, golf remains the king of outdoor recreation in terms of dollars spent per capita across the state and the region.
Sue Leek of Mackenzie Creek Mercantile caters to people coming to Sisters Country for an outdoor recreation experience.
She carries hats, sunglasses, snakebite and tick-removal kits, and outdoor clothing.
"I sell hiking boots this time of year," she said. "A tent stake they forgot, a hatchet they forgot, a great saw they forgot. That's what I provide. And people are very surprised when they come in and find it."
Leek says that the Columbia brand really drives sales - for practical outdoor gear as well as "fashion" items.
Leek believes Sisters merchants can do a lot more to make shopping itself more of an "experience." She engages with her customers, striking up conversations and creating a friendly, welcoming environment.
"They are all greeted when they come in and I always say 'thank you for coming in,'" she said. "Even if I'm busy, even if I have a store full of customers. It's my mission. It makes a big difference."
It's not even primarily about making the sale, she says.
"My engagement with my customer is not to entice them to buy," she said. "My first inclination is to make them feel welcome. The rest follows. It's common sense."
But it's not so common. Leek notes that she has received feedback from customers indicating that many merchants are not as welcoming as she is.
"We're not perceived as very friendly here," she said.
She also thinks retailers need to keep longer hours.
"If there's people here, I don't just close the door," she said. "Why would you do that? We certainly don't endear ourselves to our customers by closing the door when there's people on the street."
Retail is demanding work. Choosing the right products, displaying them well, managing cash flow and the books all place significant demands on merchants who must make the great majority of their sales in a short window.
Not everyone is prepared to make the dream of owning a little shop in Sisters a reality.
Patty Cordoni of Sisters Business Attraction and Retention Team noted as much in a white paper presented earlier this year to the Sisters City Council.
"I receive calls from individuals looking to open businesses such as antique malls, health/therapeutic, dog/cat grooming, art/jewelry, restaurants, candy/ice cream stores, sports equipment, etc.," Cordoni noted. "Many of these individuals are not prepared financially or schooled on how to open a new business. After discussions with them and referring them to state resources, many find they do not have the means for a
start-up."
Yet, owning a shop in Sisters remains an attractive dream. And for those with a will to work, the right products and the right attitude, the dream can come true.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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