Small businesses weigh staying open later

COLLINGSWOOD – Reed Orem hosted a party at his store in Collingswood on a recent Friday night, and like any host, the Dig This owner was hoping for some great conversation.

He was, however, a little specific about the topic: Whether downtown businesses like his should stay open later — and whether shoppers would make it worth his while.

It’s a classic conundrum for merchants in downtown areas all over South Jersey and beyond: Is there enough foot traffic — and enough potential sales — to justify staying open until 7, 8 or 9 p.m.?

“People want a place to look around after they have dinner, but for us to survive, they have to buy, too,” said Orem at his store, which specializes in vintage furniture and home goods.

Orem and his wife, Megan, run the business with their two sons and live above the store. The family has been in Collingswood for more than 15 years and they enjoy the sense of community, not only as business owners, but also as residents.

He keeps the store open late, but often uses the time for bookkeeping, Internet sales or custom work. When it comes to customers coming to the store, he said, “The question we have to ask is, ‘What are our most profitable hours?’ ”

The question extends beyond Collingswood’s downtown; small-business owners on Kings Highway in Haddonfield and along Main Street in Moorestown also try to strike a balance between accommodating customers who want to browse while still staying profitable.

At the Happy Hippo in Moorestown, manager Maryellen DeMille said shoppers are different than at the toy store’s Haddonfield location.

“Haddonfield is a little more of a destination, but here, we find our customers are coming in specifically to buy something,” she said. “There’s more foot traffic that’s just looking to stop in and browse in Haddonfield.”

She pointed to specialty nights in Haddonfield, such as Ladies’ Nights Out and concerts in Kings Court, that bring people to Kings Highway’s shopping district after hours.

“We’d like to see more promotion of Main Street” in Moorestown, she added.

That’s under discussion, according to Moorestown Business Council’s executive director Mark Morgan, who also runs the Moorestown Theater Company.

“We’re trying to do more to extend the day and encourage merchants on Main Street to stay open longer,” Morgan said, noting Monday night concerts at the Community House from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. during the summer.

“Hopefully it will encourage people to come here, eat dinner, and look around either before or after the show or their meal.

“But we’re also listening to our merchants and asking them what they think.”

Carol Kaufman-Scarborough, a professor of marketing at Rutgers University-Camden, pointed out the “gravity theory” in retail: “The pull is stronger with a larger number of venues to attract shoppers. The more familiar consumers are with a store, the more likely they are to come back.”

Collingswood’s thriving restaurant scene, as well as restaurants and cafes in Haddonfield and Moorestown, contribute to that dynamic.

“If there isn’t a reason to come to a town, I’m not sure people will browse in its stores,” she said. “Retail browsing is often correlated with the restaurant trade — people already have a reason to be there, so they stay around.”

Cross-promotion can also help, Kaufman-Scarborough said, and cooperation among downtown business groups, restaurants and shops can benefit everyone.

But another key, she said, is turning after-dinner browsers into buyers. To do that, businesses need to give shoppers a reason to come back.

“Offering a percentage-off coupon or telling people about an upcoming sale or event — those are ways to establish relationships and engage with customers,” she said.

At By Hand in Haddonfield, the manager said she has no complaints about shoppers who browse, because they often recall something they’d seen at the gallery, which sells pottery, jewelery, art and accessories.

“This is a Rockwellian town,” said Susan, who declined to give her last name. “We have shoppers who come in and look around, but don’t buy. That’s OK, because they might come back when there’s an occasion and they need a nice gift, or they want something special.”

That sense of recall helps Orem, too, since items in his store aren’t usually impulse buys.

“You have to give a little, but you can get a return on the time investment,” he said. He hosts parties at the store a few times a year and says it’s always been “a positive experience” that often introduces new customers to his store and his inventory.

“When they are looking for a new piece of furniture, they might remember something unique that they saw here,” he said.

Jen Miller, a freelance writer and author who lives in Collingswood, agreed, saying she liked the older, sturdier and unique offerings at Dig This.

Comparing Collingswood to Stars Hollow, the fictional small town depicted on the TV show “Gilmore Girls,” she said with Cruise Nights, Second Saturdays and annual events like May Fair and the Book Festival, there’s a lot to do in the borough.

“Even after the stores close, it doesn’t really feel dead downtown. There are always people out,” she said.

Emily Mason, at the Dig This party with her two children, wished stores were open later. Still, she said, “there are enough stores and restaurants here to keep people coming back.”

Jay Levin, a music producer and freelance editor, understood the issue from a business owner’s perspective: “It’s a chicken-or-the-egg thing,” he said. “Do stores open late to see if people will spend money, or do they close at 6 because people don’t? How do they figure it out?”

“Small business is tough business,” agreed Rob Lewandowski. “(Owners) are assuming a financial risk by opening later and often cutting into time with their families.”

Chris Kinka, who owns the Nesting House with his wife, Jen, said the risk-benefit ratio is tough to quantify.

“What’s happened when we’ve opened later is people come in to kill time before their reservations,” he said. “They’ll pop in for five or 10 minutes and look around. It’s really impossible to judge whether that will turn into future sales.”

Along with his South Jersey store, Kinka has a store in Mount Airy and another opening next month in West Philadelphia. He said it’s also a question of allocating tight resources.

“People want to have the luxury of places to browse and shop later, but we have to measure whether the money we spend to stay open might be better spent on other things, like advertising or new product lines.

“It’s a balancing act.”

Cass Duffey, Collingswood’s director of development, is also a member of the borough’s Business Improvement District, which coordinates events and promotions like Collingswood Cash.

“We like to say we’ll bring people to town, but it’s your job (as a business owner) to get them in your door,” she said.

Still, she added, it’s up to consumers to support local business owners, too.

“Let them know you’re here and ready to spend money later in the day and at night,” she said.

Phaedra Trethan: (856) 486-2417; ptrethan@courierpostonline.com