Local businesses see sales increase from 2016

For many of the local businesses in downtown Worland, 2017 held an increase in sales from the previous year. Stores such as Larsen’s Bicycles and Outdoorsman have noticed this sales increase and are hoping for even bigger sales growth.

Lisa Weamer with Larsen’s Bicycles said that there were ups and downs throughout 2017. Christmas had seen a larger sales number due to their new additions of cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals, and snow bikes. Though sales throughout the year stayed the same from 2016, Weamer stays positive. She said that online sales most likely play a factor for the store. Summer is always the most popular sales time for the year, due to the warmer weather and clearer roads. Weamer’s only plans for changes this year are to be what she had started around Christmas of 2017, and keep renting out skis and snowshoes, and hopes to keep her popular demand of snow bikes as well.

Outdoorsman owner Melanie Stine said that this year’s sales were slightly up due to pricing and their “top notch sales crew,” Stine laughed. According to Stine, Christmas sales had dropped from 2016. Fall is definitely their most popular sales period due to hunting season and their inventory of firearms. So far 2018 is looking incredibly hopeful, due to the store already selling a number of firearms and handguns.

Larger stores such as Kennedy ACE Hardware had also noticed an elevation in stores sales. Lee Kennedy, store owner, commented that sales were good in 2017, and up from 2016. Though they don’t see too big of an increase in holiday sales, mostly due to what products they sell, the sale’s usual best sale periods, May through July, were higher than usual. So far, ACE hasn’t seen too many sales in 2018, January through February always being a slower time for the store. Kennedy said that ACE’s website is starting to see an increase in online presence. Though the trend hasn’t quite reached the Worland franchise, stores in other locations have seen customers exercising their new online addition of in-store pickup. Kennedy doesn’t know of any future plans for the store this year, but commented on the plumbing reset that they had added after Christmas, costing about $8,000.

Paul Keller, owner of Sunshine Office products, had a good year with his business in 2017. Not only were sales up from 2016, but Keller noticed that during the holiday season, sales were higher than normal. He commented that he thought it may be due to “people staying in town to shop, other than leaving to go to cities such as Billings or Cody.”

Keller’s current thoughts on online sales are that they definitely play a factor. “It’s hard to compete with other online franchises such as Amazon,” he said. Keller does stay positive though. “Seeing as how the store is a local business, that helps a lot due to how instead of waiting for a package to be delivered, they can come and buy something right away, instead of waiting for it to ship.” August and September are also seen as busier times for the store, mainly because of the start of the school year and parents looking there to buy school supplies.

The new year is also starting well with January always a busier time for the business. Keller said that they do have ideas for potential changes and ideas in the works for 2018, but aren’t looking to share them with the public quite yet.