Every Monday through the end of the year, National Jeweler will publish a weekly holiday sales roundup online. The roundup includes input from independent retailers interviewed according to region: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, South Central and West.

 

For this fifth edition of the holiday sales roundup, editors asked jewelers about sales, foot traffic and what was selling over the weekend.

 

Northeast

Compared to the same weekend last year, traffic was up slightly, though not dramatically, over the weekend at Jay Roberts Jewelers in Marlton, N.J., said owner Jake Spigelman.

 

Spigelman said he doesn’t doubt that this holiday season will be better than 2009.

 

“It’s just a question of how much,” he said.

 

Eight inches of weekend snow didn’t damper the holiday spirits of shoppers in Erie, Pa. In fact, the snowfall enhanced it, said Daniel Niebauer, owner of Ralph Miller Jewelers & Gallery in Erie.

 

“We had a great weekend,” he said. “The snow is putting people in the mood for shopping. It wasn’t a problem.”

 

Southeast

Though eight inches of snow didn’t fall in Ocala, Fla., the weather there also is getting consumers into the shopping spirit. Cammie McLeod, manager of Gause & Son Jewelers, with two locations in Ocala, said cooler temperatures are helping to get people in the mood to shop for the holidays.

 

“The traffic is definitely up. It’s still early now, people are still looking,” she said, but notes an uptick in interest in jewelry as a holiday gift as compared to last year.

 

At Allen’s Jewelers in Albany, Ga., owner Steve Allen reported strong foot traffic and sales over the weekend, with purchases of Pandora beads especially popular. He said the bulk of pieces purchased over the weekend were wrapped up for placement under the tree until Dec. 25, a welcome change from this time last year.

 

“Last year at this time, we weren’t doing anything for Christmas,” he said.

 

Midwest

Business was slow over the weekend at Garfinkles Fine Jewelry in Highland Park, Ill., said owner Jill Garfinkle. She said she is hoping traffic will pick up as Christmas creeps closer.

 

“We had a little bit of business (over the weekend) but it’s not enough,” she said.

 

At Metal Works Fine Jewelry in Yorktown, Ind., a shop that specializes in custom work, owner Gene Gragg reported strong weekend activity and a slight increase in the average price point.

 

“We had an excellent day on Saturday, both sales and traffic. We were busy all day long,” he said.

 

South Central

Sales of estate jewelry were the highlight of a strong week at C. Aaron Penaloza Jewelers in San Antonio, Texas.

 

“It was strong all week and throughout the weekend,” he said. “We were happy.”

 

At Newton’s Jewelers in Fort Smith, Ark., owner Kelly Newton said he customers were buying engagement rings and Rolex watches on Friday, and the store was busy again on Saturday up until the city’s annual holiday parade closed the town’s main street Saturday afternoon.

 

“It was busy,” he said. “It wasn’t great.”

 

West

Strong Black Friday weekend sales continued into the next week and weekend at Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, with a store in Seattle and one in Bellevue, Wash., said Steve Goldfarb.

 

“There’s an enthusiasm out there that’s building,” he said. “We had a good weekend. We were excited.”

  

This report was originally published on National Jeweler.