Major national retailers have made a lot of news in Savannah in 2013, but locally owned establishments still form the backbone of the downtown shopping scene.
Once again this year, Historic District retailers are joining forces to encourage consumers to shop local and to explore downtown.
From 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 5, the Downtown Design District will host its annual Holiday Walk.
The district runs along the Whitaker Street corridor between Charlton and Gaston streets. The unique shopping area includes fashion, accessories, antiques, furnishings and other eclectic offerings.
The DDD’s Holiday Walk always turns into a big party, with individual retailers usually offering promotions and refreshments.
It’s a great time for regulars to support their favorite stores, and it’s a great time for curious shoppers to discover something new.
The Wright Square Merchants’ Holiday Open House is from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 6. This is the 12th year for the annual celebration, and it’s possible that I’ve written about every single one of those gatherings here in City Talk.
Wright Square is on Bull Street between Broughton Street and Oglethorpe Avenue.
The trust lots on the east and west sides of Wright Square are dominated by large public buildings — two historic courthouses and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of The Ascension.
But along York, State and Bull streets, you’ll find narrow storefronts that have proven ideal for unique small businesses.
Like the Downtown Design District, Wright Square features a varied selection of stores with all sorts of surprises.
Entertainment for Wright Square’s Holiday Open House includes a visit from Father Christmas, a bagpiper, several other musicians and performances by groups from the Savannah Arts Academy, Savannah Christian Preparatory School, Savannah Children’s Choir and the Lutheran Church.
Events like the DDD’s Holiday Walk and the Wright Square Merchants’ Open House are typically good nights for sales, but the gatherings serve other functions.
I’m most struck by the ways in which the events build community and allow new connections to be forged. Guests linger and meet other guests, and just about every shopper will have the chance to meet the proprietors themselves.
And many small business owners have limited — or even nonexistent — advertising budgets. The buzz created by these annual holiday events can spur word-of-mouth marketing that might prove crucial in slower times of the year.
Since I started writing this column way back in 2000, I’ve heard innumerable concerns about the difficulties of doing business downtown. Small business owners face permit problems, a lack of on-street parking, competition from chains, crime, inconsistent code enforcement, sharp seasonal variations in pedestrian traffic and a variety of other issues.
Despite these potential pitfalls, entrepreneurs have kept areas like Wright Square and the Downtown Design District at or near full occupancy for over a decade, including right through the deep recession and the subsequent slow recovery.
If you share concerns about small business vitality in the Historic District, then you might want to check out this week’s events or just make a special effort to support Savannah’s unique retailers through the holidays. Obviously, if the business owners are local folks, odds are that the bulk of the profits will be spent or invested in the area.
In the past, I have noted that the narrow storefronts in the Historic District are conducive to locally owned businesses since many of the spaces are simply not large enough for national retailers.
But as boutiques become more interested in downtown Savannah, we are seeing a shift in that dynamic. Free People and Kate Spade both moved into narrow spots on Broughton Street this year, and we should expect some other high-end retailers to follow suit in 2014 and beyond.
So that might be yet another reason to shop local.
City of Savannah offering holiday parking promotions
The City of Savannah is offering some discounts on parking during the holidays.
On Thursdays and Fridays for the rest of the year, drivers can park free for three hours in the five city garages. This promotion does not include metered street parking as in previous years.
The city is also selling Parking Smart Cards for 50 percent off face value through the end of the year. Those are available in the ground level office of the Bryan Street Parking Garage. That’s a pretty good deal.
For more information, check out www.
savannahga.gov/parking.
City Talk appears every Tuesday and Sunday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net and http://www.billdawers.com. Send mail to 10 East 32nd St., Savannah, Ga. 31401.