“We have harped about keeping later hours to every retailer on our block repeatedly, citing our own positive experiences. Even though we’re “off the beaten path” we get more weekend foot traffic from 5-9 pm than we do from 11am-5 pm. Often 8-9 pm is the busiest, and we’ve stayed open as late as 11 pm when traffic kept coming in.
“That being said, the evening traffic isn’t predictable or dependable, which puts many merchants off the idea of ‘wasting their evenings’. Even when 300 convention delegates were cut loose, armed with a detailed shopping guide and map, to peruse our wares, only two delegates actually visited stores on our block while the majority went drinking.
“The late hours idea could take root and grow, but the city needs to both prod retailers directly and persistently, AND promote the late hours of fun and shopping outside the city – magazine, tv & newspaper ads, billboards etc. I think if retailers see the city making a concerted effort to bring suburbanites downtown in the evenings they’ll be more open to give it a real try.
“Organizations like DID and JSID should also engage restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to help promote shopping, as they already draw people in at night. Imagine if all the restaurants, bars, theaters etc had a city-designed brochure rack near their entrance with a big attractive ‘SHOP LATE IN LANCASTER’ sign above it.
“The first convention was, in the opinion of most merchants in our district, a dismal failure, insofar as proving out that visitors to the center would have any interest in shopping here. The city now needs to stop chanting ‘build it and they will come’ and put forth the effort to draw in the populace that’s already here.”
Shopping habits have evolved in the last generation. Sunday is HUGE for shopping: but the store open hours must be consistent, and the “cluster” has to be comprehensive and close. A few scattered stores with unpredictable open hours does not work. First Fridays have taken off because the patrons know a cluster of shops will be open when they get into town.
When in the clothing business it was taken that one needed to do a marketing survey of a location and type of store or business one wants to open. Is that not true these days? One just does not buy or rent in an area and open a business with intentions of drawing, you are correct, buying habits have changed.
The city powers that be was and is hoping that Lancaster become a draw for art and music however one needs to have other businesses to piggyback such as shops and eateries.
Finally, consistency, the businesses have to be consistent and know that it takes an overall effort by everyone, not just a few.