WEST BEND, Wis. — With Christmas and New Year’s officially over, small businesses are reflecting on the important holiday shopping season. 

Kim Walecki owns Riverwalk Candle Company in downtown West Bend. Walecki said the holiday shopping season is extremely important for her business’ bottom line.

Walecki said she was pleased overall with how things looked this year. 

“We sold a lot of gift certificates; had a lot of new customers come in. This season was a very good season for us this year,” Walecki said.

Walecki credited downtown shopping events for helping to drive new customers to her business, which opened up in late 2023. She said the events, put on by the Downtown West Bend Association, are one of her biggest drivers of new customers. 

“It does bring in a huge number of customers. Repeat customers but also those customers that come in, we hand them a flyer and we do see them come back months later,” Walecki said.

Noelle Braun runs the Downtown West Bend Association. Braun said businesses she has spoken with have reported a strong holiday season, with shopping starting earlier this season than it has in the past. 

“I heard that November was actually the busiest month for some of the shops I have talked to,” Braun said.

Braun said following each holiday season, she debriefs with local businesses about what shopping events worked best and where opportunities for improvement lie in the future.