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Hats are back:
Aaron Hats is brimming with customers

By David Carkhuff, The Conway Daily Sun - Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Hats are hot.

Aaron and MaryAnn Kesmetis, owners of Aaron Hats in North Conway Village, can testify to this fact as they watch their sales soar. "Hats are hotter than ever. We broke all kinds of records in the last three months," Aaron Kesmetis said. "We're about 67 percent overall for the year over 2005. Hopefully, we can do that again for a third year in a row, because that's what we were for 2005 over 2004," Kesmetis said.

In a year-end update, Kesmetis said in-store and online sales, combined, reflect a renewed interest in hats. "We had three record-breakers in a row," he said. "We're 67 percent over 2005, October was our best month ever, than November beat that and then December beat that."

Even as Christmas vacation week started with no snow and fears of a tourism slump in the valley, hat buyers remained a constant. "We're extremely busy," Kesmetis said near the end of vacation week. "Certainly, we're very busy with in-store customers and online customers. We figured it would be slow and we would get caught up on work, but that's not the case." He added, "I think everyone is on vacation so they're happy and they're enjoying what the village has to offer."

Aaron's Hats experienced a slight dip in foot traffic last year. In-store sales were down about 10 percent, Kesmetis said, but Internet sales doubled. Between 60 & 65 percent of the store's business is done over the Internet, he said. "The online business really helps us survive when people aren't walking through the door," Kesmetis noted. "That's really where we saw our growth from last year, online, because in-store sales were down slightly, probably about 10 percent. We attribute that mostly to the construction," he said, referring to the state's reconstruction of Route 16 through the village, which hobbled many village businesses. "Last week was extremely busy for walk-in business," Kesmetis added of the period between Christmas and New Year's. "Prior to Christmas we definitely noticed it was slower than last year, but the week between Christmas and New Year's was busier than last year."

Last year, Aaron Hats focused on sun protection, and the store plans to revisit that theme in 2007. Also, the store will feature golf hats this year. "There's a real resurgence across the country as far as headwear," Kesmetis said. The premiere issue of Classic Style magazine quotes Kesmetis. He describes the combination of fashion sense and concern about skin cancer that is fueling interest in hats. He also is quoted telling the magazine that Golden Era hats are enjoying renewed interest, something demonstrated by a separate feature in the magazine about celebrities wearing classic hats.

Describing the upswing in hat sales, Classic Style cites "factors as disparate as hip-hop music, heightened interest in sun protection, nostalgia for the 'Golden Era,' and a slow but building rebellion against the 'everyday casual' attitude that rippled through offices from San Jose to Manhattan in the late 1990s."

In 2003, Aaron and MaryAnn Kesmetis left Lowell, Mass., and moved to North Conway, opening their store that June. They later expanded their floor space to accommodate growth. "We are so thrilled," MaryAnn (Sword) Kesmetis said in a press release on the couple's Web site (www.getahaton.com). "It's very exciting meeting people in the valley. They are so happy with the hat store - we have several repeat customers and people recognize Aaron around town now." Aaron Kesmetis said, "Even if you don't like hats you can come in and reminisce about your grandfather in the old days. Hats have a nice way of reminding us of the old days."

Aaron Hats carries hundreds of hats and accessories to fit every style and need. The store is located at: 2729 Main Street, North Conway, NH 03860. For hours and information please call: 1-877-386-HATS. Or shop on the web at: www.getahaton.com

About Aaron Hats
In 2003 Aaron and MaryAnn Kesmetis sold their Fifth Avenue home in Lowell, MA, quit their jobs and headed north to follow their passion: hats. Aaron Hats opened doors on June 28, 2003 in the heart of North Conway, New Hampshire in Norcross Circle. Three years later, the retail hat shop has tripled its floor space, seen sales jump over 67% and now boasts over 25 different brands of headwear including: Kangol, Bailey, Barmah, Betmar, Dorfman Pacific, Resistol, Stetson, Sunday Afternoons, Tilley Endurables and many more. Aaron Hats accessories include: hatboxes, brushes, bands and retainers, as well as steaming and stretching services. For more information, please call: 1-877-386-HATS.

About Getahaton.com
Getahaton.com is a one-stop shop designed for hat lovers, by hat lovers. Owned and operated by Aaron and MaryAnn Kesmetis of Aaron Hats, the website encourages visitors to browse through hundreds of hats and accessories from over 25 leading manufacturers, including: Kangol, Bailey, Dorfman, Pacific, Stetson and many more. Getahaton.com is a colorful, easy-to-navigate site, where hat enthusiasts can shop by brand, by category of look for special deals. For more information please visit: www.getahaton.com.

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Aaron Hats - GetaHatOn.com, 2729 White Mountain Hwy, PO Box 2134, N.Conway, NH, USA 03860 Tel: 603-356-5551

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Hats are back: Aaron Hats is brimming with customers

Hats are back:
Aaron Hats is brimming with customers