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	The Ypsilanti Courier A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Merchants to stay open later, offer incentives

Business owners react to Blueprints plan

By Christine Laughren, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: March 20, 2008

The recently released Downtown Ypsilanti Blueprints report encourages retail businesses in the area to stay open later. And that is exactly what some shops are doing.

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Businesses are attempting to lure people downtown by keeping later hours and offering incentives to shoppers such as gift baskets.

"We appreciate the local community coming out and supporting the downtown," said Sheila Miller, owner of Simply deVine. "The whole drive to shop local is to support your local community."

Last Friday marked the second month of an evening shopping event organized by the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti.

Thirteen businesses participated in putting together a punch card that shoppers took to each business they visited.

People who visited all 13 shops between Friday and Saturday had the opportunity to win a gift basket worth more than $130.

David Austin, co-owner of What Is That Art Gallery, said approximately 350 came through his door Friday and the gallery made quite a few sales.

"It was great," he said.

Austin said he and his wife tend to keep later hours at their gallery all the time. But he said with other businesses open later more people are coming downtown.

"I think it provides more to do down here and more of a draw," he said. "We cant just survive on our own we have to depend on each other."

Denise Cutlip, a member of DAY, said more businesses would be participating in the next shopping event, planned for the second Friday of each month.

"Already we have had a lot of interest from businesses that didn't participate Friday," she said.

Cutlip also said more restaurants would be participating as well.

"I think its great the businesses are staying open to help better connect the thriving entertainment district to retail," said Brian Vosburg, director of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority.

Contact Staff Writer Christine Laughren at 697-8255 or at claughren@heritage.com

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