Holiday sales strong for some local retailers

Holiday sales may have been sluggish across the country overall, but some local retailers say for them, the 2012 season was a banner one. Lee Michaels Jewelers, for instance, is on pace for its best year of retail sales ever since its founding 35 years ago. “This is our best Christmas on record, and our best November on record,” says Scott Berg, market president for Lee Michaels in Baton Rouge. If the trend continues through the company’s fiscal year ending in April, Lee Michaels could surpass its record year in 2007, Berg says. At Perkins Rowe, retailers also reported strong holiday sales, though exact numbers are not yet available. General manager Tony Stephens says the development had healthy crowds throughout the season and that local and national retailers there have suggested it was a good season. —Adam Pearson