By Alex Pittman
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
A year-long marketing campaign to bring more shoppers to downtown Catonsville is receiving mixed reviews from local businesses who say it has not done much to increase the number of customers at their stores.
The Shop the Ville initiative, which was created and supported by the Catonsville Chamber of Commerce in November 2014, included street banners, signs, billboards, online promotions and radio spots that encouraged customers to shop at the local businesses that make up Catonsville main business district along Frederick Road and parts of Route 40.
As part of the campaign, the chamber distributed about 1,000 blue tote bags to Catonsville residents during last year’s Christmas tree lighting event. To be a sponsor and advertiser on the back of the tote, merchants had to pay $250. Customers could then use the bags at participating stores to get discounts and free giveaways, chamber officials said.
“As the years go on we’re hoping that this campaign will bring some attention to the area for the small town merchants,” said Kristen Leister, a co-owner of Narcissus Salon in Catonsville who is also the chair of the campaign.
Leister said that while there is no quantifiable number or way of calculating the impact the campaign has had on business, she said she believes there was definitely an increase in shoppers around town since the bags were put into play.
“We’re definitely seeing a business increase,” said Sally Grace, owner of Babas, a local dessert shop attached to Peace A Pizza. Grace has seen at least 50 customers come in with the blue bags.
Other Catonsville business owners who were interviewed over the past few weeks said they have not seen the blue bags being used and they don’t feel like business has increased because of the marketing campaign.
Many business owners said they were told about the initiative but either did not understand the initiative or did not want to comment.
Marie Dutton, a manager of the Atwater’s restaurant on Frederick Road, said she’s only had two customers at most come in with the bag and neither of them knew what the bag was for or if they were getting something discounted.
“There was a festival going on and I had one woman come in and asked for a $10-off discount,” said Mary Chizmadia, the owner of Ken’s Old Fashioned Candy Shop on Frederick Road. “I had no clue what she was talking about, but I didn’t want to lose business so I gave her, and only her, the discount.”
Some business owners said they were disappointed with the fact that while they were included in the campaign, they’re wondering where their money actually went. Each business had to pay a small portion, the $250 investment, for the advertising on the bag.
“I’m not putting money into it again,” Chizmadia said. “It’s been a year and still no one knows about it and I have almost never seen these bags that the chamber was supposedly giving out.”
Business owners who were interviewed said that while they believe the chamber had good intentions, the campaign was not as effective as they had hoped. They said that while Catonsville still has old-school charm and that loyal customers did not leave, they do not believe the campaign brought in new customers.
“We’re working on ways to get the message out more,” Grace said. “It’s a relatively new campaign, just like a starter business.”
Leister said the chamber welcomes any suggestions on ways to improve the campaign.
She said the chamber is starting a new advertising campaign, “Elves in the Ville”, that runs from Nov. 16 to Dec 19. According to the chamber website, elves will be displayed through six different stores and the more elves a customer finds, the better the chances of winning.