Michelle Ahlmer

Into the mind of ...

Howis this holiday season looking for retailers?

My description of the 2013 holiday season is cautiously optimistic. The consumer seems a bit uncertain about the economy, but we are anticipating an increase over last year.

Is the “specialness” of Black Friday on its way out, as more stores move their doorbuster sales to Thanksgiving Day?

I think that Black Friday will remain a big day for many shoppers. For many families it is a holiday tradition and for some it is a sport!

Thanksgiving Day shopping is a nice option for some people who are not with family on the holiday, but I think the “specialness” of Black Friday will remain.

It still feels like the kickoff to the season of giving.

Some people criticized the plan to open on Thanksgiving, and some large chains kept their doors shut. Will that have any effect on this trend?

The number of stores opening this Thanksgiving is greater than last year, so I do think we are seeing a new trend that will appeal to certain shoppers. It will be interesting to see if the cost to open the stores pays off in the long run. That will be the real deciding factor for trendsetting. How did you spend Friday? Shopping, of course! I am lucky to have family in town this year and we all went shopping for November birthdays, birthdays in early December and Christmas shopping.

I have to admit, I inevitably find something that I “need” on these excursions.

The recession shut down some major names. What has that done to those that survived?

Retail is such a competitive business that when a major retail chain shuts down, the other retailers use that loss as a tool to learn what not to do. For some survivors, it has made them stronger.

Competition is good and strong competitors benefit by having others do well. That is one reason retailers locate in close proximity to each other. Is the recession over for retailers? I don’t think the recession is over for anyone. Retailers are feeling a bit better but as I mentioned previously, retail is cautiously optimistic.

The recession has changed the way people shop, therefore retailing is not going to be the same as prerecession times.

How have online sales changed what happens in brick-and-mortar stores?

There are some consumer advantages to the combination of online and brick and mortar. For instance, I can shop online and pick up the item at my local brick-and-mortar location.

That allows meto shop in myPJs and still support my local retailer and my community. Most stores that have both online and brick-and-mortar channels allow in-store returns for an online purchase. Those are real conveniences for the consumer.

However, tax equity is still the hurdle that brick-and-mortar stores face. Congress has got to act — and act soon — to allow our brick-and-mortar stores to compete fairly. What are you reading these days? I read myScriptures daily, and I love a good mystery novel, but I really enjoyed “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story” by Donald Miller.

‘‘ It will be interesting to see if the cost to open the stores (on Thanksgiving) pays off in the long run. That will be the real deciding factor for trendsetting.”

Executive director, Arizona Retailers Association