Stefanie Pearl was in search of Christmas gifts for her family, and a little something for herself, during Saturday’s Shop Hop.
The third annual Shop Hop may have attracted fewer people than last year, but the event drew new customers, as well as old.
Organizer Luanne Richards said about 73 shoppers came through Creative Gifts and More, nearly 20 less than last year. She attributed the lower turnout to the cold and the snowstorm which cut power to over 1,000 residents, forcing them to celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday.
Last year 23 businesses participated in the Small Business Saturday event, but that number increased to 30 this year. Many shop hoppers still strove to complete their scorecards so they’d have a chance to win the grand prize, a gift basket filled with items from the participating businesses.
As of press time, not every completed scorecard had been collected, and a winner wasn’t expected to be announced until Dec. 4.
Those who decided to brave the frigid temperature weren’t hard to spot. They walked up and down sidewalks, popping in and out of stores, carrying beige canvas bags reading “Shop Small” in a navy blue circle.
Stefanie Pearl, a first time participant, said she was ready to start shopping for Christmas. And she was motivated by an American Express gift card burning a hole in her wallet.
“If I see something that reminds me of someone, I buy it for them,” she said of her shopping strategy.
Sidewalk access to many of the participating shops enticed Pearl to walk most of the day as she tried to complete her scorecard.
For her second Shop Hop, Megan O’Donnell joined Ray Sharo and his daughter, Kim, both three-year veterans. They started at 9:30 with breakfast at Fiddlestix. There they picked up scorecards and planned their strategy for the day. They broke the shops into sections and by noon they only needed to visit Jones Farm on Angola Road.
“We have some experience, so we know what we’re doing,” said O’Donnell.
Kim likened the Shop Hop to a scavenger hunt, but for adults.
Kathy Judson returned for her second Shop Hop.
“I did a lot of Christmas shopping last year,” she said. “I enjoyed going into some of the shops I wouldn’t have normally gone in.”
Her strategy was to visit all the shops in the village, walk up and down Main Street, stop at Cornwall Plaza, then finish on Angola Road.