Peeble's manager pleased with last year's sales

By Greg Miller
STAR STAFF

   "We're very pleased with last year's figures," said Peeble's manager Bobby Sullins.
   "Overall, they were better than the previous year," remarked Sullins, who is looking for even better numbers this year.
   Name brand merchandise, such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo sold very well last year, according to Sullins. "It looks like people were name driven," he said.
   "Americana" merchandise became big sellers at the store shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America. "Those items sold really well," Sullins said. "I think it also let people know that we were all involved in what happened, whether you were in New York or you weren't. And it gave people in the community a sense of being proud of being an American, being able to buy the items that we had that had the U.S. flag on it, that type of merchandise."
   Although there has been a slowdown in the sale of "Americana" merchandise, "usually on a daily basis, we have somebody ask if we have merchandise with that on it. We have everything from quilts, blankets, T-shirts. Even in the spring lines, a lot of vendors are putting a big emphasis of the American flag on the products. A lot of stuff is splashed with the 'Americana' theme, that red-white-and-blue. There's also a whole lot of bright colors this year."
   Spring merchandise has already begun arriving at the store, according to Sullins. "Every truck of merchandise that we've gotten since January, has consisted of spring merchandise," he said. Everything we get from here on will be spring merchandise."
   Peeble's, Sullins said, "appreciates the community's support. The transition when we went from Watson's to Peeble's has been very pleasant. The community has really backed us, and business has been good. We send out a big 'thank you' to the community.
   The support of a community like Elizabethton is necessary to the success of a local store, Sullins said. "We rely on a lot of repeat business."