By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

With the onset of December, it’s officially the winter holiday season, with many people now out shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah or other holiday gifts.

For many local business owners, this part of the year is among the most important for their finances. Even for stores that don’t rely on holiday sales to make their year, December can represent a major boost in business.

Arlan Hess, owner of City Books on Galveston Avenue in Allegheny West near Allegheny Commons Park, said the sales period from October through December is “crucial” for book stores due to holiday giving.

“I’m always a little nervous about the holidays, because you never know if people are going to turn out,” Hess said. “People are so used to shopping online.”

When it comes to popular gifts from City Books, Hess said contemporary fiction and works by local writers are always really popular. Hess has an entire section dedicated to that latter category, featuring books like “Mirth” by Northsider Kathleen George, or “Kaufmann’s: The Family That Built Pittsburgh’s Famed Department Store” by two journalists who have written for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Marylynne Pitz and Laura Malt Schneiderman.

Hess recommended the book “Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng, which she described as a “book about books” taking place in a dystopian society.

In addition to reading material, City Books also offers gift bags which can include other items, such as a miniature candle, soaps or Christmas ornaments. Hess takes pride in these side items all being locally made.

“They’re all made in Pittsburgh, because I say I like to keep the city in city books,” she said.

At some businesses, the holiday season is not the major jump up in sales as it is at other stores. Cecilia Lora, manager at Refucilo Winery on Western Avenue, said her store sees less business during the holidays because their back terrace is not open due to the weather.

Still, that doesn’t mean the winery can’t get into the spirit of the holidays. This year, Refucilo is offering a “12 Wines of Christmas” promotion, where they’ll have a certain wine on sale every day they’re open for the season. The promotion started on Nov. 26.

Lora, however, believes in giving customers a positive experience no matter whether it’s the holiday season or not.

“Like I always say, our goal is to have whoever comes through the door have a nice time,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, that is what we try to do.”

Over at record store The Government Center on East Street, owner Josh Cozby is feeling “cautiously optimistic” heading into the season.

“It’s been a pretty good year overall, but things still feel sort of unpredictable in terms of shopping patterns,” Cozby said.

While the season isn’t “make or break” for The Government Center, Cozby said the holiday shopping season is an important time of year for the store. In particular, he sees an increase in gift certificates and turntables during December when compared to a typical month.

As to what products are most sought after as gifts, Cozby said older records and Christmas records usually see a spike. What he calls “old reliable titles,” such as works by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Outcast or Notorious B.I.G. see an increase in sales compared to more contemporary albums.

Additionally, the larger value products also receive a jump in attention.

“I think when you see people in and looking for gifts, they’re more likely to buy a big ticket item like a box set or turntable speaker setup,” he said.

For Cozby, the best part of the holiday season isn’t the sales, but getting to see a lot of The Government Center’s customer base during a relatively brief amount of time.

“We have a big community between the record store, the live shows, and now we’ve added coffee and the bar,” he said.

For anyone having difficulty picking out an exact item as a gift, the following Northside businesses confirmed to The Chronicle that they are offering gift cards and/or certificates: Four Points Brewing Taproom, City Books, Allegheny City Brewing, Oliver Flower Shop, Ida’s Sandwich Shop, Prantl’s Bakery, Flavors Street Food, ShadoBeni, Wagsburgh, The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers, Commonplace Coffee, Monterey Pub, Brooke Rockwell Hair Design, Pittsburgh Acupuncture & Massageworks, The Garden Café and Live Fresh Juicery.