Tag Archives: holidays

Poll: Where will you get your Christmas tree?

Kitsap residents have a bounty of options when it comes to picking a Christmas tree.

There are, of course, no shortage of stores and tree lots offering pre-cut firs, pines and spruces.

For families who want to harvest their own, the county home to more than 500 acres of planted Christmas trees, with U-cut farms dotted across the peninsula.

More adventurous tree hunters can buy a $5 permit from the Forest Service and make a foray into the Olympics.

So if a tree is part of your holiday tradition, where do you plan to get yours this this year? (Or where did you already grab one?)

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If you need help finding a tree this year, the Kitsap Sun has a handy guide to u-cut farms and lots on the peninsula.

Photo by Larry Steagall. See a gallery of Larry’s Christmas tree shots here.

Kitsap retail sales up 10 percent in fourth quarter

Tad Sooter

20051225-013527-pic-742444482 Kitsap retailers had cause to celebrate during the 2015 holiday season.

The $1.03 billion in taxable retail sales reported by county businesses during the last three months of the year marked a 10.4 percent increase from the same period of 2014.

Kitsap posted the largest percent increase in fourth quarter sales of any county in the Puget Sound region, according stats from the state Department of Revenue.

Retail trade sales — sales made by dealerships, stores and other businesses selling merchandise directly consumers — were up 7.7 percent.

Major retail trade industries reporting increased sales included auto dealers and parts stores (up 11.4 percent), building and garden material suppliers (up 12.5 percent), and general merchandise stores (up 5.1 percent).

Outside of retail trade, building construction was up an impressive 25.4 percent, manufacturing up 7 percent, wholesale trade 16.3 percent, information up 14.5 percent, and accommodations up 26.1 percent.

(Click here to see the year-over-year change in sales every industry in Kitsap.)

Annual sales

With the fourth quarter stats in hand we can now see how 2015 sales stacked up to previous calendar years.

Retail sales in Kitsap increased by 9.96 percent from 2014 to 2015, and 26 percent from five years ago.

Here’s a chart showing annual retail sales in Kitsap for the past five years:

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Thanksgiving road trips will be cheaper this year

Tad Sooter

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About 42 million Americans will hit the road for Thanksgiving this week, and those drivers will enjoy the cheapest gas prices in seven years.

According to AAA, Thanksgiving fuel prices will be at their lowest since 2008.

The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas was $2.10 on Friday. In Washington it was $2.49.

In Kitsap, the average price for a gallon of regular hovered around $2.45. That was 55 cents cheaper than on the same day a year ago (an 18 percent decline).

Diesel took an even more impressive dive in the past year dropping from $3.66 per gallon to $2.76 per gallon, a 25 percent drop.

Kitsap fuel prices Create bar charts

With prices dropping steadily this month, AAA predicts the national per-gallon average will reach $2 before Christmas, a low not seen since 2009. The global petroleum supply continues to outpace demand, helping drive prices lower.

Fuel price comparison
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As for holiday travel, AAA forecasts a 46.9 million people will leave home for Thanksgiving this year, 300,000 more than last year. There will still be fewer people traveling for Thanksgiving than before the economic recession (50.6 million in 2007 was the high).

The vast majority of holiday travelers — nearly 90 percent — will drive, but there’s also some good news for those who fly. Airfares will be 10 percent lower than a year ago. Passengers flying one of the 40 domestic routes will pay around $169 for a round trip.

You can see a slick AAA travel graphic here.

Larry Steagall photo

Kitsap Mall Santa is taking reservations

Tad Sooter

Getting a picture taken with Santa Claus at the mall is a beloved holiday tradition.

Waiting in long lines with squirmy youngsters to see Santa is not.

This year the Kitsap Mall Santa is giving parents an early Christmas present in the form of an online reservation system.

Shoppers can register in advance for time slots with Santa by logging onto mysantaexperience.com, according to a news release. Reservations require the purchase of a photo package, which start at about $35.

Santa arrives at the mall Nov. 14, and will stick around through Christmas Eve. A special “Paws with Claus” night is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Nov. 19, so “well-mannered” pets can have their picture taken with the jolly elf. WorldWide Photography will have a regular family portrait area set up adjacent to Santa’s court.

In other mall news, the Silverdale shopping center will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight on Thanksgiving day, and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday. The opening of H&M, initially slated for November, has been pushed to Dec. 17.

You can find more holiday event information on Kitsap Mall’s Facebook page.

Poulsbo bookstore testing Bremerton location

Tad Sooter

391379_10150881823251793_1612744474_n — Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo

Bremerton is a city of 40,000 residents and zero bookstores (well, at least the family-friendly kind).

That will change Saturday when Poulsbo-based Liberty Bay Books opens a holiday pop-up store at 409 Pacific Ave.

The store will only be open in November and December, but Liberty Bay Books owner Suzanne Droppert said she would consider opening a permanent downtown Bremerton location if the pop-up proves popular.

“We’ll see if the readers of Bremerton want a bookstore,” Droppert said.

Liberty Bay Books is taking over a 750-square-foot space next to Hot Java Café. Droppert said her staff will stock the pop-up store with a wide selection of new books, cards and games, then tailor the inventory based on response from shoppers. Customers will also be able to special order books and pick them up at the shop.

Droppert said she likes the eclectic mix of restaurants, retailers and art galleries along Pacific, and thinks a bookstore would fit in well.

“(People) want to see some personality back in downtown Bremerton and we want to bring that personality,” she said.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, beginning Oct. 31. You can check out Liberty Bay Book’s Facebook page for updates, and watch for a full story in the Kitsap Sun.

What was Bremerton’s last bookstore?

We’ve done some digging in our archives trying to determine the name of Bremerton’s last dedicated bookstore, and what year it closed. We’ve come up with a few candidates but no definitive answer yet.

If you have an idea, please drop a comment below or email me at tad.sooter@kitsapsun.com

Holiday hiring to hold steady despite retail rebound

Tad Sooter

Kitsap County employers will hire about 420 workers for the holiday season, according to a state estimate.

That would put holiday hiring down slightly from 2014, when Kitsap businesses added 465 in October, November and December.

The Employment Security Department is projecting holiday hiring statewide to be roughly even with 2014. Washington employers hired 14,753 holiday workers last year. The state predicts 15,066 will be hired this year.

“Sales growth, particularly during the holiday season, has remained steady over recent years,” state labor economist Paul Turek said in a news release. “An improving jobs picture has supported consumer spending and should lead to a positive retail season in Washington.”

The bulk of the seasonal hiring will be in general merchandise stores, adding 8,064 jobs. Clothing and clothing-accessory stores expect to hire 3,929 holiday workers, according to the department.

Kitsap County has added jobs in recent years. Retail sales have rebounded from the recession.

But if projections hold true, those trends have yet to translate into happier holidays for Kitsap’s under-employed.

In a conversation Thursday, Turek pointed to two factors that may temper holiday hiring.

First, shoppers are more likely to buy online, which lessens the need for actual human beings to run cash registers and stock shelves.

Second, employers have been hiring more workers earlier in the year, which means they are more likely to extend holiday hours for their existing employees rather than hire temporary help.

Here’s a breakdown of holiday hiring projections in Washington (Bremerton = all of Kitsap County):

Holiday retail sales in Kitsap rivaled pre-recession highs

Tad Sooter

The 2013 holiday season was kind to Kitsap retailers, according to number released Tuesday by the state Department of Revenue.

Retail trade, which includes traditional stores, dealerships and online sellers, generated $487,117,141 in taxable sales in October, November and December. That was a 5 percent improvement over the fourth quarter of 2012. Car dealers, blog.retail2 furniture stores, sporting goods suppliers and e-commerce, did especially well.

Sales for all industries were up 6.4 percent from 2012, totaling $895,050,130. Industries showing healthy growth included manufacturing, construction, information (software, telecom, print and other media) and restaurants.

Kitsap sales were in step with the rest of Washington, which saw a 5.8 percent rise in overall sales in the fourth quarter.

The long-term trend is positive for our county. Fourth quarter retail trade sales have climbed steadily since 2008 and are close to matching the pre-recession high of $493,353,867 recorded in 2006.

Fourth quarter sales in all industries have been on the rise since 2009 and are also closing in on a 2007 high of $925,280713.

Kitsap also enjoyed a 6 percent rise in third quarter sales last year.

A detailed breakdown of fourth quarter retail sales in Kitsap for 2012 and 2013 is posted below. Use the zoom or full screen buttons at the bottom so you don’t have to squint: Continue reading →