Downtown York Boutique Owners Look To Offer A Unique Shopping Experience

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting York County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Alex Chiaruttini was looking for the perfect little black dress to take with her on an overseas trip, she found it at Indigo Bleu, a recently opened boutique on York’s West Philadelphia Street.

The 43-year-old environmental attorney and Springettsbury Township resident said she doesn’t shop at malls and prefers shopping at downtown York boutiques because their owners know Chiaruttini’s style and what she might like.

“It’s more fun than shopping online,” Chiaruttini said Wednesday evening while shopping with a friend at Elizabeth & West Fashion House, another downtown York boutique.

Wednesday was the second day of York’s annual Boutique Week. Downtown Inc. and a committee of downtown merchants launched the event in 2012 to give shopkeepers a chance to show off their merchandise and attract new customers. The week includes a fashion show Friday evening at Central Market. Boutique owners like Zarah Brooks, owner of Indigo Bleu, say they offer their customers a more personal experience and different merchandise than can be found at a mall.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/yorkcity/ci_26462981/downtown-boutique-owners-look-offer-unique-shopping-experience

Pottstown Shop-Local-First “Cash Mob” Event

Saturday, December 3, 2011, 11:00 AM

Gallery on High

254 East High Street Pottstown, PA (map)

Details:

$20 is the weapon of choice for Re-Occupy Pottstown Local Businesses’ next shop-local-first event, “Cash Mob.” For each “cash mob” event there will be a prearranged meeting spot (our first “cash mob” location will be The Gallery on High on Saturday, December 3 at 11 am). We will meet with $20 in hand ready to be spent at the local business (anyone can spend more if you are able and would like, of course). 

This is a great demonstration of how, with a focused, joint effort, each person’s purchasing power can truly make a difference.

Occupy Pottstown’s Small Business Saturday Event A Success!

Image via Wikipedia

Today’s Occupy Pottstown event was not the usual demonstration or rally.  Instead, Occupy Pottstown members shopped and dined downtown from 10am until 1pm.  The emphasis of today’s event was to support downtown merchants and let them know Occupy Pottstown members are committed to shopping locally first, when possible.  In other words, walk the talk.

Occupy Pottstown members distributed literature downtown ahead of today’s event and had the support of PDIDA and many merchants.  Occupy members wore identification tags so that local merchants could see the tangible impact organizing an event like this would have.  Occupy members were greeted with enthusiasm by local merchants.

There are actually more businesses downtown than I realized.  We had no trouble spending three hours shopping.  Some new businesses have sprung up including one new store selling fresh fruit, produce and baked goods at very reasonable prices.  The group I walked around with did not have time to visit every store downtown.  That just leaves more for the next trip  🙂

After today, several members have decided to do as much of their Christmas shopping downtown as possible.  Supporting Pottstown’s existing businesses will encourage other entrepreneurs to consider opening a new business in Pottstown.  I would say the four people in my group easily spent $250 downtown today.  Imagine if a few hundred people would regularly shop downtown on a Saturday!  Imagine if only 10% of Pottstown’s 22,377 residents shopped downtown regularly.

I can happily report my group was not bothered by any panhandlers while we shopped.  There were a few people “hanging around” but they kept to themselves or just said “hello”.  It was a very pleasant experience.