'We have stock': Smaller stores aim for last-minute shoppers

NEW YORK (AP) — After a wearying nearly two years of the pandemic, independent retailers are cautiously hoping their holiday seasons will be bright, despite the challenges this year ranging from supply chain snags to shortages of hot holiday items.

Many businesses ordered decorations, toys, stocking stuffers and other items well in advance this year and have turned to smaller vendors to fill in any gaps in their inventory. They’ve reached out directly to customers on social media. And they’re hoping that shortages at bigger stores stemming from supply chain issues this year will lead to a burst of last-minute shopping in their stores.

So far, worries about omicron and rising cases haven't made a measurable dent on holiday shopping. For the week that ended Dec. 18, store traffic was up nearly 20% from a year earlier, though down 23% from the same week in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to Sensormatic Solutions. But there are still a few crucial shopping days left.

Small retailers are hoping they can capture some of the expected growth in holiday sales. The holiday shopping season is crucial because it can account for 20% or more of annual sales for retailers, and boosts store traffic and new customers. The National Retail Federation predicts a sales increase of 8.5% to 10.5% for all of November and December, after 8% growth in those months in 2020.

American consumers, flush with cash from government stimulus, rising stock prices and increases to their home equity, have kept spending despite high inflation and the ongoing pandemic. That’s put pressure on the global supply chain, leaving business owners scrambling to stock up on the products consumers want.

Last December, vendors warned Teresa Pries that shipping costs would be on the rise. So Pries, owner of two Revival 23 clothing and gift boutiques in...