Businesses, services spring back to life

After a winter filled with seemingly endless snowstorms and bone-chilling temperatures, Five Towns businesses and services are preparing for warmer weather and a much busier spring-into-summer season.
People are looking forward to that “warm outside feeling,” said Vassa Halatas, owner of Wedding Dresser Couture in Woodmere. “The majority of our sales for those getting married this year were already made during the fall and winter months, so business itself is actually slower for us right now,” Halatas said. “Most of our customers now are coming to pick up dresses they have already paid for in full.”
To perk up her business, she is presenting new pieces in lighter shades of blush. “As the seasons change, people want to change with them,” Halatas said. “From the winter, the momentum has shifted. We are transitioning from vibrant holiday colors and silver stone accents from the colder months. Festive, soft pastels are popular this spring.”
Wedding Dresser Couture is hosting a special by-appointment spring event, a bridal gown trunk show. “We are having this to get ready for the spring and to generate new business,” Halatas said. The show is scheduled for April 11-13, and will feature wedding dress designer Liancarlo.
The average cost of a wedding dress nationwide in 2013 was $1,281, according to TheKnot.com, a wedding planning website. Long Island brides were not afraid to spend more, however: The average cost in Nassau and Suffolk counties was $2,160. Wedding Dresser Couture offers bridal gowns at a variety of prices, Halatas said.

Jillian Leesang, owner of Sydclo Children’s Clothing in Hewlett, said she is more than ready for the spring season after the harsh winter. “The store is doing a lot better now that it’s spring,” she said. “Now is the time to shop for the holidays, Passover and Easter. Business has picked up between 40 and 50 percent since the winter season. This was a rough winter.”
Social media has helped generate business, she added. “I posted a contest on Instagram on our store’s page, @sydclochildrens, and people responded very well,” Leesang said. “I had my customers share my store’s logo on Instagram to as many people as they could share it with, and the momentum kept building. I had originally planned on giving out $300 in store credit, but the response was so overwhelming, I ended up giving out $500 in total.” Due to the contest’s popularity, Leesang is considering doing a similar one again soon, along with offering discounts on specific brands.

Time to spruce up
Dee Jay Carpet in Cedarhurst endured slow sales during the winter, owner David Nacht said. “Nobody wanted to go out,” he said. “Customers didn’t want people installing their carpets walking around with snowy shoes on them. For now, we’re hoping people will come out to shop.”
Nacht said he is hoping that people who spent more time in their homes and apartments the past few months are ready to renovate their living spaces. “During the winter, people spent a lot of time indoors and had time to look at their surroundings and decide to redo a room,” he said. “With the new [season], people want a fresh new house. The holidays are coming, so people want to have a fresh new look to invite their families and friends over to see and enjoy.”

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