It’s a tough economy in Cordova and statewide this Christmas season, but community support paired with eager shoppers are keeping staff of the Net Loft smiling.
“We are so grateful for this community and their support,” said Net Left owner Dotty Widmann, whose craft shop has been open for business in Cordova for the past 41 years.
Her business if just one to participate in Moonlight Madness this year – a Cordova Chamber of Commerce campaign to encourage buying local this holiday season. This year shoppers hit local businesses for the first day of madness on Dec. 12, and are scheduled to return for any last-minute gifts on Dec. 19.
What’s different this year, Widmann said, is that The Net Loft is temporarily housed at Cordova Community Baptist Church, sharing space with a congregation being gifted with a new church building by Samaritan’s Purse.
Widmann, her employees, and others – including U.S. Coast Guard members stationed in Cordova – have been gradually moving a whole lot of merchandise to the church and setting up an attractive retail display to accommodate shoppers for Moonlight Madness and more.
“We have a variety of everything,” Widmann said. “Art supplies make a really good gift, or yarn and jewelry, and good cookware, things for the kitchen.”
There are also festive goodies, such as Nutcracker ornaments for Christmas trees, gift wrap, and ribbons.
“Our chocolates are going pretty fast,” she told The Cordova Times. “There are not a lot of them left. And there are Frasier fir candles too.”
For Moonlight Madness this Friday, the shop will also offer live music.
“People are using the shop as a resource to make things,” said Widmann. “This year because of the economy, people are being more careful about their spending. That’s a lot of what we see here. I love that.
“That’s why we are here, to encourage people to be creative,” she added. “We have activities and workshops that people can be creative in.”
Sue’s Knives, owned and operated by Sue Ervin, features a variety of specialty knives, as well as guitars, ukeleles and strings for the instruments. Ervin, like other small shop keepers, found the Dec. 12 first night of Moonlight Madness slow because so many people in town were watching or volunteering for the production of The Nutcracker – but she said she is optimistic about being busy on Dec. 19.
Ervin’s shop also features items from April Beedle’s Knot Crazy – a business where Beedle repurposes fishing lines into creative items, including hangings and trivets. Beedle’s Hot Crackers, spicy crackers in a variety of flavors, are also very popular, she said.
Cindy Maxwell, the manager of Copper River Fleece, which is owned by Jennifer Park, said their Moonlight Madness shop will again offer a unique discount to shoppers for the occasion; Every customer making a purchase during Moonlight Madness will be given a balloon to pop. Inside each balloon they will find a note stating the discount percentage for their purchases.
The shop features Alaskan-inspired fleece wear, including stretch hoodies, jackets and a whole lot more, made from high-tech fabrics. Clothing sizes range from newborn to adult.
As for the balloons, “everybody likes to have something special during the holidays,” Maxwell said. “It’s nice to get a little discount at this time of the year.”
At LFS Marine Supplies, retail sales spokeswoman Mikie McHone said business was pretty slow for the Dec. 12 Moonlight Madness kickoff due to The Nutcracker production, but they are also optimistic for Dec. 19 sales.
“All the clothing will be 20% off and we will be giving door prizes,” she said.
The shop is having a 12-days-of-Christmas special, where anyone can enter a drawing for raffle. Anyone who doesn’t win on one of those 12 days gets their name into a last chance raffle to be held on Christmas Eve, McHone said.
LFS has a variety of warming clothing, from sweatshirts to heavy weight Carhartt bibs, jackets and vests. Children’s gifts include LFS sweatshirts, boots, books, stuffed animals, and Play-Doh.
But more important than discounts this holiday season, according to Widmann, is “that peace would reign and love would fill all hearts that would overcome the hard things that we are in the mist of. Sending encouragements to all local shops and gratitude for customers that shop local.”
