At the Old Lake Court House in downtown Crown Point, maintenance worker Thomas Darnell last week started to decorate the area where Santa will be accepting youngsters’ wish lists beginning the day after Thanksgiving, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.

But for many area retailers, such as Albert’s Jewelers in Schererville and Toys In the Attic in Crown Point and Valparaiso, the season had already begun.

“We’ve seen people in record numbers this year; people buying really large diamonds. It’s been pretty amazing,” said Kerry Phillips, chief operating officer at Albert’s Jewelers.

He said the jewelry store expects to have more than 200,000 guests this year; more than 60,000 of whom will visit the store in November and December.

Tim Reddick, who co-owns the toy stores with his wife, Chris, said he expects a significant increase in sales over this time last year, based on current trends.

He said he believes a lot of people are getting an early start this year, noting there are some supply chain concerns.

“Our assortment is a lot wider than before, but not as deep. We suggest if you see something for someone on your list, just buy it now, no matter where it is,” Reddick said.

The National Retail Federation is also optimistic about this year’s holiday season, saying holiday spending this year could shatter previous records.

The NRF predicted holiday sales during November and December will grow between

8.5% and 10.5% over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a previous high of 8.2% in 2020 to $777.3 billion and an average increase of 4.4% over the past five years.

“There is considerable momentum heading into the holiday shopping season,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Consumers are in a very favorable position going into the last few months of the year as income is rising and household balance sheets have never been stronger.

“Retailers are making significant investments in their supply chains and spending heavily to ensure they have products on their shelves to meet this time of exceptional consumer demand.”

At Albert’s Jewelers, Phillips said they bought “really early and really deep” so they’re well positioned for the holiday season.

Still, like Reddick, he encouraged people to shop early.

NRF said it expects online and other non-store sales, which are included in the total, will increase between 11% and 15% to a total of between $218.3 billion and $226.2 billion, driven by online purchases.

But, while e-commerce remains an important component, the NRF said households are also expected to shift back to in-store shopping and a more traditional holiday shopping experience.

For those shoppers still cautious about the COVID-19 virus, many stores are offering curbside pickup and deliveries.

Events like the now traditional Small Business Saturday, which is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as well as downtown events like the Duneland Chamber of Commerce’s Hometown Holiday Celebration, which will be held in downtown Chesterton on Small Business Saturday, help the small brick-and-mortar shops by generating traffic.

The Chesterton event will be on Saturday, beginning with an outdoor market at Thomas Centennial Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. and twilight parade at 5:15 p.m.

“Small Business Saturday is our day. We do well on Black Friday, but Small Business Saturday is really our Black Friday,” Reddick said.

He said while inflation has been an issue, with prices of just about everything going up, that isn’t the case at his stores, which specialize in unique, vintage and educational gifts. He said Ty, maker of plush toys, hasn’t raised its prices at all and other companies have only had minimal hikes.

NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said the season is looking bright for retailers. However, he added that while new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are down, a variant surge could potentially sidetrack the current trajectory of spending.

Still, Kleinhenz said, “Strong household fundamentals provide optimism amid the uncertainty. Income is growing from wage compensation, and household wealth has reached another record high. These together support strong spending this holiday season.”

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.