The Shop Owensboro Summer Edition on July 25 was almost like Christmas in July for some merchants.
“It was our best day of the year so far,” Natasha Stanley, owner of Bella Ragazza Boutique in Wesleyan Park Plaza, said Thursday. “It was awesome.”
She said, “It felt like Shop Small in November. It was close to holiday numbers for us. We had a good crowd and everyone was respectful. We’re very thankful that the chamber and Independence Bank did it. We really needed it.”
At Byron & Barclay downtown, Jessica Woods, who owns the clothing store with her husband, Jeremy, said, “It was good. A lot of people came out. It was definitely a lot better than a normal Saturday, but not like in November because people are Christmas shopping then. But it definitely brought more people out.”
She said, “People also bought things from our website.”
Woods said, “We had it before the pandemic, but it’s really helped. People can order things and we’ll bring it to their doorstep.”
“It was absolutely successful,” said Candance Castlen Brake, president of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event along with Independence Bank.
She said, “So many of our merchants are doing heavy online business now too. Even if people are uncomfortable about going into stores to shop, they can shop locally online.”
Brake said, “There was steady traffic everywhere we went on Saturday.”
She said the chamber still plans on doing its big event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The idea at both events, Brake said, is to “get people to come out and stimulate the economy. We hope they’ll come out to help their neighbors.”
Jessica Kirk, the chamber’s programs and events manager, said earlier, “We encourage businesses to create excitement by coordinating together for a unique shopping and dining experience to boost support for local businesses throughout the day.”
And the more than 60 participating business did that, Brake said.
By Keith Lawrence Messenger -Inquirer