While U.S. retail sales were up 0.6% in August according to data from the Commerce Department, much of that increase came from consumers paying higher gas prices. And for retailers, summer sales felt a little snuffed out.

“I would say we’re definitely in our slow season of business right now,” said Colina Bruce, owner of Noir Lux Candle Co. in Seattle Washington. Bruce opened her brick-and-mortar location last year, where she holds candle-making classes; over the last few weeks, that’s where things have been the slowest. “We did a lot of vendors markets this summer where we literally were just every single weekend in the community, trying to make up for the slowness that was happening in the shop,” said Bruce.

For now, she’s planning for an uptick over the late fall and into the holiday season. Last year marked her first holiday season in the brick-and-mortar store, and she’s hoping to take the lessons she learned last year to heart. “I think we’re ready,” said Bruce. “I think we’re we’re better positioned than we’ve been in the past.”