Summer Nights Bringing in Business
Local News
by
Michael Dupré
last edited on
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The slumping national economy has been forcing many people to spend less, and the summer is starting to wind down.
Businesses in downtown Rapid City are hoping Summer Nights, will help them cash in before the tourism season is over.
The sweet sound of a sale is what business owners strive for.
When traffic is blocked off on Seventh Street in downtown Rapid, the sound of cash registers ringing, picks up.
“It's by far my best sales that I have all week long. I think the Downtown Association has done a wonderful job and I look forward to Thursday nights because it's a real boost for sales," says Tracy Hauff, owner of the Red Kettle Co.
A big boost, even when a sale doesn't happen right away.
Nick Whittman, manager of Edge Sports, says, “We haven’t seen a lot of sales on Thursday nights, but the people are coming back the next day and that weekend, too. So, it really gets our name out there and gets a lot of exposure for us."
The Summer Nights exposure is even more important, when your store is new.
"We just opened in May, and summer-sales haven’t been as well as we were hoping. But, we'll do all right," says Chuck Cressy of Independent Gold Smiths.
For many Rapid City businesses this year's Sturgis Rally was anything but a cash crop.
Businesses in the downtown area are banking on Summer Nights on Seventh, to put them over the top before summer comes to an end.