It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...Christmas

We're T-minus 13 days until Christmas. And do you know how I remembered that I was totally behind on my holiday shopping? I walked through Northwest Portland. Guess what I saw: beautiful Christmas displays, white twinkling lights spiraled through the trees and lovely holiday music (not the annoying kind you hear in the grocery store where Mariah Carey sings, "All I Want For Christmas" for the 5,000th time) filtering down the street.

Suddenly, it dawned on me: The sky isn't falling, so maybe I should go buy some gifts for the people I love.

Retailers just don't know how powerful they are. Or maybe they do. To feel despair after watching CNN and then walk into the street and feel joy--now that's good stuff. With all the nay-saying and negative news, gorgeous Christmas displays are sure to cheer consumers up.

The Seattle Times recently reported on downtown Seattle's efforts to bring holiday cheer to residents, all the while encouraging them to spend some cash. The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) is pulling out all the stops by doing it up big for the holidays. They're suggesting that retailers put up snazzy holiday light patterns on the sides of their buildings, and retailers are doing it. They've got carousel rides in Westlake Park and Santa Claus hanging out in Nordstrom.

The city will also feature a continuous five-minute light and music show in Westlake Park every half-hour in the evening (think Bellagio water and light show, without all the Vegas glam), holiday family photos and more than three dozen lighted displays, including a tricycle, drum set and toy race car. Those Seattle folks sure do know how to party, don't they?

Now, while Portland's lovely lights got me back in the Christmas spirit, the question is: Are pretty lights, displays and Santa enough to inspire shoppers to spend some cash?

The way I look at it, it can't hurt. We've got to do something to counter all of the doom and gloom that's out there. Low prices are a good start to lure shoppers, as is creating an environment that produces joy. Good ol' fashioned joy never hurt anyone, right? And certainly when one feels joyful, one wants to shop and spend money. At least that's how I roll.

What about you? Do gorgeous Christmas light displays, light shows and carousels get you in the holiday shopping spirit? What is your city doing to encourage shoppers to get out there and do what they do best? Tell us about it here!

--Heather Strang

 

Comments

[jerry herschman]

I have family in Portland & Eugene, we vist as much as possible...it is not the mid-west right now.....it is plenty grim & getting grimmer (a word?)...we do lots of retail work all over the country & if the major cut backs in both development & retail construction are any indicater of next year, people should be buying gift certificates at the grocers for a truly meaningful & needed gift