A recent online poll on this page asked readers to tell us how
much of their holiday shopping they will do in downtown Hollister.
Of the 129 readers who responded, nearly 66 percent replied
”
none.
”
A recent online poll on this page asked readers to tell us how much of their holiday shopping they will do in downtown Hollister. Of the 129 readers who responded, nearly 66 percent replied “none.”
Last week the paper also ran a story detailing how shoppers lined Highway 101 – at midnight on Thanksgiving – to get into the Gilroy Outlet Center’s “midnight madness” sales. Hollister does not have an outlet center, but we do know the local Target store has been a big holiday shopping destination.
What this speaks of is something called “leakage.” In Hollister’s case it means that a high percentage of each holiday shopping dollar is leaking out of town and into outlying areas. It means that Hollister shoppers are going elsewhere to spend their money.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, traditionally a huge shopping day, downtown Hollister was quiet. Many businesses were not open.
If the downtown is to grow and become a more prosperous center of commerce, or even a destination for shoppers, it will have to find a way to keep dollars in town. It will have to find the means to make itself a destination.
And that is not to say there are no viable commercial ventures downtown. Far from it. Shoppers can find high-quality fashion, goods of all kinds, and excellent food in downtown Hollister, all of which deserve promotion and marketing. All of which should be the subject of an inventory that shows what the community provides, and how it can be promoted.
Entities like the Hollister Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce, to name two, work hard to promote the downtown. There appears to be apathy among some merchants regarding the downtown shopping zone, and we urge them to join a concerted marketing effort among businesses. At some point, the downtown’s survival could depend upon such an effort.
Blame is easy and solutions are a challenge. One theory is that the impending Highway 25 bypass will ease traffic, creating a safer walking environment conducive to shopping. Others believe the bypass will drain traffic, creating a ghost town. We believe every strategy must be investigated to exploit whatever advantages a bypass provides.
We would also like to mention, in passing, one obvious advantage small Hollister businesses have to offer customers – service. Real, personalized service. The genuine article.
As for the downtown, we suggest a walk down San Benito Street on a sunny day. Physically, Hollister’s downtown is a gem. We’d like to envision crowded sidewalks filled with browsers and cafe patrons. We would like to think this vision is realistic. We’d love to see “mid- night madness” arrive downtown every year, a shopping holiday just like the “Lights On” parade.
