Winter’s arrival in Madison brings early sunsets, quieter sidewalks and for many State Street businesses a noticeable shift in customer demographics and slower sales. While each shop experiences winter differently, most owners describe winter as a time of restructuring rather than stagnation, adapting with reduced hours, boosted online sales and long-term planning as students and tourists clear out.
Laura Komai, co-owner of craft and gift shop Anthology, told The Daily Cardinal cold seasons always bring a significant reduction in-store traffic.
“The first quarter is our slowest quarter of the year, about 16% of our annual sales, as opposed to the fourth quarter, which is about 30%,” Komai said. “People are definitely not out during the coldest weather.”
Even with fewer customers, Komai said winter is far from restful behind the counter.
“It's actually a very busy time of year because we have to do store inventory, and I have to get all the files ready for year-end taxes,” she said.
Across the street, Cheese Mart experiences a similar slowdown.
“Our customer base is mostly tourists and farmers' market shoppers, so business slows down quite a bit in the winter months,” Store manager Ian Adcock told the Cardinal. “We cut back on staffing during the winter season to save on labor costs and usually close a couple of days during the week.”
Despite this shift in business, State Street’s efficient snow removal and its residential student population help keep the store up and running.
Wisconsin Design Team (WDT), a student-focused apparel shop, experiences some of the most dramatic seasonal shifts due to university breaks, according to store manager Madelyn Lawrence.
“Our main customer demographic is students in school, and with them going home for the majority of the winter, we lose a bit of foot traffic,” Lawrence told the Cardinal.
Instead of being held back by fewer customers, WDT shifts its energy towards online platforms.
“As winter approaches [each year], we increase our presence online to cater to those who are out of state for break,” Lawrence said. “We plan our collection releases early to hit all of the important holiday dates in retail.”
Even with colder temperatures and shortened days, she said the store’s expenses stay relatively stable.
“Our expenses increase a bit to make sure our store is warm for customers,” Lawrence said. “Outside of that, there isn’t a vast difference in costs from season to season.”
Staff Writer
