By Michael Bassett
Some Sparks Street Mall merchants are reporting higher Christmas sales for 1998, but opinions are mixed as to whether the malls experiment with new Christmas decorations was behind the boost in business.
All eight Sparks Street Mall businesses surveyed reported sales were up this December and Peter Harris, Sparks Street Mall manager, said although management does not collect sales data from the merchants, he has been told that sales are up along the mall this year.
This year was the first time in a decade that the mall has put up decorations. The mall spent over $60,000 on the entire Christmas promotions package and $30,000 of that went towards decorations, some of which were reusable decorations like lights and wreaths.
The mall had 6,000 lights which were strung with wreaths around the old lampposts and on the heritage buildings that line the mall. Sparks Street Mall manager Peter Harris says the light display was the second largest in downtown Ottawa.
There were also carollers dressed in traditional outfits, real Christmas trees, Santa Claus and a live reindeer. Harris says one of the biggest draws was a horse and carriage ride where people could get the rustic feeling of a horse drawn carriage in the middle of downtown.
Franco Morgante, the owner of Morgante Menswear, said he thought the decorations were beautiful and he said although he could not give numbers he knew that business was up this year.
David Wright, the co-owner of the Snow Goose, a gift-shop which specializes in aboriginal artifacts, said the decorations made the mall livelier and he had overheard customers mentioning how nice the mall looked. He said the carollers, sleigh rides and the decorations were done in good taste and weren’t too outlandish or gauche.
Sam Kandle, head waiter at Barristers Restaurant, said he doesn’t think the decorations had any affect on the increased business the restaurant saw over the Christmas season.
He said he felt the overall economy has been improving this year which has led to increased consumer confidence. Recent Statistics Canada employment numbers have indicated that job growth in 1998 has been the highest in almost a decade.
“People have more money and are feeling better this year,” said Kandle.
He said he doesn’t believe decorations and advertising campaigns could rejuvenate the mall and bring in more customers. Instead he thinks the mall’s problems are much more fundamental.
“We need more businesses [on the mall]. Decorations and advertisements won’t do it,” he said.
Nick Alsford, manager of Armstrong Quality Footwear, said he thinks the biggest problem preventing the mall from really increasing its pedestrian traffic has to do with its open air design and the constant construction around the mall.
The Wellington Street construction and the “Restore the Core” program have contributed to massive traffic problems around the mall for both cars and pedestrians. Alsford said he couldn’t think of any changes the mall could make to improve its design. Whatever the changes would be, they would require construction — something he says would destroy his business.
However, mall manager Peter Harris said the mall’s design was one of the natural strengths that helped promote the decorations. He said the fact that shoppers could come down to the mall and look at the decorations, feeling the cool air and watching snowflakes fall bolstered shoppers Christmas spirit.
Harris said plans are already in the works for next year. “We want to establish a Christmas tradition where people come downtown, take the carriage and do their shopping,” he said.
Although the plans have not been finalized for next year, Harris said he wants to encourage the storefronts to decorate their windows —something that they do at their own cost — by running contests and offering prizes. He emphasized the decorations and promotions were part of a long term revitalization plan.
“I think we recognize that we have a ways to go but we’re getting back on track,” said Harris.