Landmark New Orleans Christmas Shop Beats the Odds After Hurricane Katrina

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We were in complete shock when we saw all the water on Canal Street and in the downtown area. We knew right away that we needed to get out as soon as possible.

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) November 22, 2006

Life was good in the Big Easy and business was booming at Santa's Quarters, a landmark Christmas shop in the historic French Quarter selling Christmas decorations, lights, and artificial Christmas trees- until August 29, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit and New Orleans was devastated by flooding caused by catastrophic levee failures. Following a harrowing evacuation just days after the hurricane, Santa's Quarters owner and proprietor David Erath, Sr. and his family were dispersed all over the country, like so many other residents along the Gulf coast.

Erath and his wife, Carol had weathered the storm in their French Quarter home, unaware of the disaster that was unfolding just blocks away from them. "We lost electricity, so we could not watch the news, and our phones quit working right after the storm hit," remembers Erath. It was only when they ventured outside the day after that they realized something very bad had happened, "We were in complete shock when we saw all the water on Canal Street and in the downtown area. We knew right away that we needed to get out as soon as possible." They drove out of the city that same day, evacuating to Texas with friends from New Orleans. "We passed all these people coming in with boats, and we cried the whole way, because we just knew that it was bad," says Carol Erath.

Anxious to check up on their homes and the Christmas shop, the Eraths obtained a permit to re-enter the city, and on September 17 made their way to New Orleans. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. "It was apocalyptic," remembers their son, David Erath, Jr. Relieved to find Santa's Quarters untouched by floodwaters and looters, they reopened Santa's Quarters a month later. More than half of their employees had lost their homes, and were trying to start a new life somewhere else. With only a handful of residents back in the city, and no tourists to shop, business was all but gone. Initially, the only shoppers were first responders and law enforcement who had come to New Orleans to help with the recovery. "We are so grateful for them. They kept us afloat that first Christmas after the storm," says Erath.

Throughout the first half of 2006 and well into the summer, business declined by as much as 70%, and it was only through hard work and perseverance that Santa's Quarters managed to keep its doors opened. "At that level, we barely generated enough revenue to keep the shop open, but giving up was not an option", says Erath. Many small businesses in the French Quarter were not so lucky and had to close.

To give the business a much needed boost Santa's Quarters looked beyond New Orleans and went online with a smart new website where shoppers can purchase a large selection of items that are not available in the shop. The website offers a large collection of artificial Christmas trees, from flocked trees to giant artificial Christmas trees up to 60' tall. Other selections include outdoor Christmas decorations, wreaths and garlands, Italian nativities, and professional quality Christmas decorations for commercial applications. "The website business has been great. We've been able to attract commercial clients from all over the world", says David Erath, Jr., who together with his wife manages the website.

In the fall of 2006 cruise ships and the first conventions made their return to New Orleans, breathing life into a city that is so starved for visitors. The Eraths, like other business owners in New Orleans, are welcoming them with open arms. "The French Quarter is well and alive, and this is a great time to visit," says David Erath, Sr. With the holiday season just around the corner, business at Santa's Quarters has gone up slightly and is now at about half of what it used to be pre-Katrina. Sales of artificial Christmas trees and decorations on the web have picked up dramatically. Cautiously optimistic, the Erath family hopes all the work and perseverance continue to pay off as this great city is working hard to make its comeback as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

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