By Donald Wittkowski
Don’t be bashful about wearing your pajamas to do your holiday shopping.
This Saturday morning will be no time to sleep late. If you snooze, you’ll lose out on the deals offered by downtown merchants during the kickoff for the holiday shopping season. Shoppers dressed in pajamas will be welcomed.
Ocean City is getting off to a fast start with its “Earlier Than The Bird” shopping promotion from 8 a.m. to noon. Local shop owners on Asbury Avenue, between Sixth and 11th streets, will participate. They say they’ll be ready for the rush of shoppers by opening extra early Saturday morning.
Earlier Than The Bird refers to the turkey that will be on the Thanksgiving menu. The promotion will allow downtown businesses to get a jump on the Black Friday crush, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.
Ocean City merchants are counting on the holiday season to revitalize the downtown business district now that the summer vacation crowds are gone.
“It’s very important. It’s the only time in winter when you have heavy traffic,” said Colin Devine, manager of the 7th Street Surf Shop.
7th Street Surf Shop managers Jaime Keenan and Colin Devine chat with local surfing expert Todd DiCiurcio, center.
Early bird shoppers at 7th Street Surf Shop will be able to grab 20 percent discounts in the first hour after the store opens at 8 a.m., with the exception of surfboards and wetsuits. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., there will be 10 percent discounts.
Devine said the shop will also offer a free leash and traction pad on surfboard purchases and a 40 percent discount on boots and gloves on wetsuit buys.
Deep discounts won’t be the only thing that gets shoppers in a holiday mood. Old-fashioned decorations give the downtown a festive feel. Christmas lights twinkle in multicolor splendor. Green garland and big, red bows hang above Asbury Avenue and are also draped on the Victorian-style lampposts lining the sidewalks.
“I think it brings the spirit of Christmas to Asbury Avenue,” said Suzanne Chew, owner of Yoga Ginger.
Chew said Earlier Than The Bird will be her biggest sales event of the year. She will offer a 10-class yoga card for $90, compared to the summer price of $130. Shoppers can buy up to three cards per person.
“They make great stocking stuffers. Everyone loves them,” Chew said, noting that the cards will not have an expiration date.
Paul Cunningham, owner of the upscale P. Francis gift shop, worked with Mayor Jay Gillian and the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce on the holiday decorations when he formerly served as the president of the Downtown Merchants Association.
“I saw a need to have a cohesive, tasteful Christmas theme that would support an old-fashioned Christmas in the downtown area,” said Cunningham, who credited a partnership between the mayor and the Chamber for the decorations.
Cunningham stressed that the Earlier Than The Bird promotion is a crucial part of the city’s holiday marketing efforts.
P. Francis, an upscale gift shop, is decked out in holiday finery.
“It’s important to get people, prior to Black Friday, to think of us,” he said. “We want them to think of the downtown area for their Christmas shopping.”
Island Gypsy, a women’s boutique, is using the Earlier Than The Bird event to clear out its merchandise before it closes for the season. The shop will offer discounts of 50 percent or more on its line of clothing and accessories, said Linda Banner, store manager.
Island Gypsy saleswoman Bazh Yovik, left, and manager Linda Banner, will use the Earlier Than The Bird shopping promotion to clear out merchandise before the boutique closes for the season.
Although Island Gypsy is preparing to close for the season, there is a possibility it may be open for Black Friday, Banner said. In the meantime, the store plans to have three pajama-clad mannequins outside to greet shoppers when it opens at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Over at Kay Jay’s Doll Shoppe, the display windows have been transformed into a holiday scene. Four dolls sitting at a table, seemingly sharing a Christmas pie, serve as a decorative centerpiece.
Katy Himes, owner of Kay Jay’s Doll Shoppe, said that Earlier Than The Bird should provide a good business boost for her store and other merchants downtown.
“We’re busy, although not as busy as the summer,” Himes said. “This is definitely the beginning of the holiday shopping season. It’s getting bigger and bigger each year.”
Jamie Himes, manager of Kay Jay's Doll Shoppe and daughter of store owner Katy Himes, shows off some holiday-themed displays.
