Harrison Merchants Did Not Have Happy Holidays

With residents keeping their wallets tight and shopping in major department stores such as Walmart and Target, Harrison merchants felt the brunt of the economic downturn this holiday season.

On Halstead Avenue  in downtown Harrison, store owners and managers reported slower holiday sales than usual.

Sammy Ahmed, manager of the Verizon Store said that he had fewer sales this year than last year.

"Business here has been very slow due to the economy," Ahmed said. "People are not spending their money foolishly. They don't need every new cell phone that comes out anymore."

Gold Rush Jewelers did not have a great season either, even though some items were marked up to 70 percent off.

Owner Jason Manstream was not surprised.

"With the economy many people were not buying, and those who did buy did not spend as much as they usually did," he said.

According to the United States Department of Labor, more consumers were out of work this holiday season than in 2008.

 In November, employers took 1, 797 mass layoffs, with each action involving at least 50 people from a single employer. The national unemployment rate was 10 percent in November, up 6.8 percent from 2008.

Ada Angarano, president of the Harrison Chamber of Commerce, said that businesses are in a sad state.

"Sales have been down everywhere, including Harrison," she said. "A recession like this has no friends."