After the big marketing push last year, there’s a far more softly-softly approach to this year’s Christmas shopping late night opening.
It’s rather sad to report that at least a couple of traders who opened later last year won’t be doing so this time round. For those who remember life as it was—a busy town and the St Peter’s Square centrepiece hog roast of old—last year’s event was a damp squib by comparison, in spite of the high profile marketing campaign.
Last year, the weather was also against the town, with high winds and lashing rain on one of the three nights. But the evenings simply failed to set the townsfolk’s imaginations alight. Or may be we had other things to do. Or other towns in which to shop. The blame lies squarely with us all, those who should be supporting our local traders.
We can all perhaps redeem ourselves this year. Yet, inquiries at the public library and the tourist information point indicate that no one in an official capacity could help—they’d received no publicity from traders. This time last year, it’d got into the local papers and the town council’s website had begun to trumpet the event, but not this year. Nothing yet.
Although the extent of trader support is yet to be confirmed, the good news is that some traders will open again this year, till 8 p.m., on the following Thursdays:
It’s rather sad to report that at least a couple of traders who opened later last year won’t be doing so this time round. For those who remember life as it was—a busy town and the St Peter’s Square centrepiece hog roast of old—last year’s event was a damp squib by comparison, in spite of the high profile marketing campaign.
Last year, the weather was also against the town, with high winds and lashing rain on one of the three nights. But the evenings simply failed to set the townsfolk’s imaginations alight. Or may be we had other things to do. Or other towns in which to shop. The blame lies squarely with us all, those who should be supporting our local traders.
We can all perhaps redeem ourselves this year. Yet, inquiries at the public library and the tourist information point indicate that no one in an official capacity could help—they’d received no publicity from traders. This time last year, it’d got into the local papers and the town council’s website had begun to trumpet the event, but not this year. Nothing yet.
Although the extent of trader support is yet to be confirmed, the good news is that some traders will open again this year, till 8 p.m., on the following Thursdays:
- 6th December
- 13th December
- 20th December
Tags:
Shops