Betsy Rock needs no egghead economists, no talking heads on TV, to tell her this economy right now is a stinker. Her Rock Hill stationery and gift business, Overhead Station, has been a mainstay in her city for 32 years -- the last few years on East Main Street in downtown.
But Rock said business has slowed as the economy has tanked.
"Pretty bad," this grand lady about sales said.
And now, Valentine's Day looms. A money-making tradition for so many small businesses that cater to lovebirds and one thing that is recession-proof: the lousy husband.
So Rock printed up and delivered leaflets door to door and put up a sandwich board outside her store. Her pitch is "Chocolates for your hottie's body."
Among those chocolates, in conservative Rock Hill, are: chocolate body paint, chocolate pasties and chocolate thongs.
"One guy wanted two jars of the body paint," Rock said. "The way I look at it, in this economy, we all have to laugh and giggle a little bit."
Maybe Rock's idea will blossom into booming business as every clueless husband who is not a diabetic barrels toward Valentine's Day.
York County has about a 10 percent unemployment rate -- and it gets worse all the time. People are nervous over money, even with a job. A research firm in an Associated Press story this week estimated Valentine's Day sales could drop almost 5 percent from last year.
Florists, however, generally have not had to resort to outlandish sales pitches to get husbands to spend a few bucks, although Debbie Grumbles of Jack's House of Flowers in Fort Mill said the economy had florists nervous until orders started piling up this week for Friday and Saturday deliveries.
This week is make-or-break for flower shops. Valentine's Day is far and away the busiest time of the year.
"The dozen roses, the stuff $75 to $100, have been very good," said Cindy Yarbrough of Cindy's Flowers & Gifts, a Rock Hill small-business mainstay for 25 years. "The economy has affected us, but this is still going to be a good Valentine's Day."
Ron Griffin of the Carolina Chordsmen, a group that for years has delivered singing valentines in Rock Hill, said the singers added optional flowers to the repertoire to try to help sales. Business has been brisk, especially for Friday, Griffin said.
"People are still spending, but it is a matter of prioritizing," said Griffin, a former salesman.
Jeannie Wyre, owner of Frank's Jewelers with stores in York and Clover, said business in general is "so far, so good," yet Friday and Saturday will decide if this crucial sales week succeeds or fails. Many customers have been wary of the economy and more careful about spending, Wyre said.
"You know how you men are; you always wait until the last minute," Wyre said.
But other stuff that normally flies off the shelves for Valentine's Day hasn't flown as fast. February business is down 48 percent at Merle Norman in Rock Hill, a shop that sells skin care products, cosmetics, jewelry and accessories, owner Jessica Collins said. Men are coming in with a list of what their wife wants, Collins said, rather than coming in looking for a creative gift.
Collins has resorted to e-mail advertising to try to get creative and spur sales. Kathleen Rossitto, owner of All About You Spa and Salon on Cherry Road, has like Rock at Overhead Station used advertising through fliers as people are spending less on massages and other services.
Rock doesn't know how well her chocolate undies will be received.
"It is a little different from the norm," she admitted. But Rock said in this economy, she couldn't, as a small business owner, afford to just do nothing during this crucial week.
No doubt Rock will stand out. In this onslaught of news about the economy that always talks of stimulus plans, Rock held up a package of chocolate undergarments for sale and stated the immortal words: "This is my own little stimulus package."
