Downtown merchants can’t stop locals from traveling south to spend their cash in a foreign economy this weekend, but on Saturday they are providing more than 50 reasons why they should stay.
The sixth annual Customer Appreciation Day takes over the downtown core on Saturday and it’s no surprise it arrives on the same weekend as Black Friday in the United States.
“With so much media attention and hype that gets focused on the American Thanksgiving shopping blitz, this is the right weekend to focus attention on what we have here,” said Baker Street Men’s Wear owner Mike Borch who helped coordinate the special shopping day. “Some people are going to go [south], but for those who don’t we want people to know they are not missing out on anything because there are a lot of great options here.”
Customer Appreciation Day was started by Chris Dawson of the Culinary Conspiracy. Over the last few years it has grown to include more than 50 shops and restaurants in the city’s core.
“It’s important to show the diversity of shopping that is available downtown,” said Borch, who is heading into his tenth year as owner of the downtown clothing store. “It’s a great showcase and the one time of the year where all of the merchants can get together and put on a fantastic promotion.”
Merchants and restaurants are offering a wide variety of specials and promotions on Saturday. Discounts, deals, prizes and special events will all be part of the downtown shopping stroll (see list of participants and offers on pages 14 and 15).
“It’s a great buy-in by local shops and restaurants,” said Borch. “We can all see the benefit of working together to remind people what a unique and vibrant shopping district we have. It’s a good opportunity for people to come down and go into some of the stores they may not otherwise go into.”
And it won’t only be Nelson area residents joining the fray.
“It brings a lot of people in from our surrounding area,” said Borch.
“A lot of the retailers have regular shoppers from around the West Kootenay. Now when those people see the promotion they can come and make a day of it.”
