TRADERS in Langtree Mall are feeling the festive joy as a surge in sales brings an end to a largely forgettable year.
Surf Crew owner Kate O’Brien said she was “grateful to be busy after a pretty crazy and challenging 2020”.
“Christmas trade has been really good, which we obviously needed after a big downturn,” she said.
“Last week was one of the best weeks we’ve had this year.
“The thing I’m most appreciative of is a lot more locals are buying local now.”
Lisa Schilling, who works at women’s fashion business Blue Illusion, reported strong sales in the lead-up to Christmas.
“Trade has definitely picked up over the past few weeks, which is great after a tough year for businesses,” she said.
“As soon as the borders opened up, we noticed an increase in trade.
“And now, there are lots of visitors in town and it’s good to see more foot traffic in the mall.”
Donata Carrazza, the new owner of Collins Booksellers Mildura, said the December trading period had been “fantastic”.
“(Former owner) John Bond helped prepare me for a busy Christmas period,” said Ms Carrazza, who took the reins at the bookstore nearly two months ago.
“We had to replenish stock that had been reduced before the sale of the business.
“But we’ve built up the stock levels and sales have been strong this month.
“We had a really big week just before Christmas. It’s just been wonderful.”
