Walking through the doors at the 34-year-old Tutoring Toy shop is like entering a childhood dreamscape.
Bright lights juxtaposed with thoughtful displays showcasing any toy imaginable are enough to put anyone in the holiday spirit. However, the past two years haven't been as cheery for local businesses struggling through the pandemic and its aftermath.
Thankfully, for Tutoring Toy owner Bill Sartain, business is starting to pick up again.
"Things really are starting to come back to pre-pandemic levels. We're not quite all the way back, but the signs are all pointing in the right direction," Sartain said.
With inflation easing (though prices are still higher now than they were last year), consumer spending picked up early in the fourth quarter. U.S. retail sales rose 1.3% in October, their biggest monthly gain since February, the Commerce Department reported last week.
Additionally, the National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will be 6-8% higher than last year and Gallup reported last month that Americans intend to spend more on Christmas gifts this year than they have the previous three years.
"Inflation has been cooling over the last few months and could be cooling further," said Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank senior economist.
One indication of this, he said, is falling shipping container and truck rate costs, which retailers pay to ship their inventory.
"In its peak, in mid-September of 2021, the average rate to secure a 40-foot container on a ship from Asia to the U.S. surpassed $20,000; however, the average price for a freight container today has dropped to just over $2,500 — so a dramatic decrease in the cost of shipping," Spendlove said.
He's optimistic that lower costs will translate into more supply and better deals for customers this holiday season.
Consumer sentiment in the Beehive State is indeed trending upwards, rising from 63.9 in September to 66 in October, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute's Utah Consumer Sentiment Survey.
Both Spendlove and Sartain urge Utahns to shop locally this holiday season, with Sartain calling this time of year "our lifeblood."
As the owner of a toy store, most of Sartain's sales between January and September are dependent on birthday parties.
When the pandemic hit, birthday parties came to a "screeching halt," Sartain said. "It was a little rough going. Birthday parties are coming back, the difference is that birthday parties are not as big as they once were, so the struggle still remains."
This is why the fourth quarter — the holiday season — is especially important for Sartain and other local businesses.
Shopping locally is also important for money returning to the community, something that doesn't happen to the same degree when shopping is done online or at a major retailer.
"Seventy percent of money that is spent in local stores is returned to the community," Sartain said. "From online retailers, for instance, only 40% stays in the community."
"And I'd add that this is a lot more fun," Spendlove said, standing at the Tutoring Toy shop, 1400 S. Foothill Drive.
Sartain said he often sees shoppers looking around the store with seriousness and determination, brows furrowed.
By the time they leave, it's more likely than not that they'll have a smile on their face.
"We always tell people, 'Look, you don't have to buy anything, just come on in and let us make your day better,'" Sartain said.