Hinsdale Customer Appreciation Days Set for April 29-30

Hinsdale retailers will have the opportunity to thank their customers in a special way at the end of April by taking part in the Hinsdale Economic Development Commission’s Customer Appreciation Days promotion.

The upcoming event, scheduled for Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, was the main topic at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the EDC in Memorial Hall.

Commission members watched a presentation by Dan Grisko of Direct Advantage, the Chicago company which handles the village’s branding efforts, outlining the marketing materials that will accompany the Customer Appreciation Days promotion.

Grisko said the materials going to retailers will highlight that “there is no cost to participate and it’s really going to be a success. We’re making this as simple and easy as possible for the retailers to rally around.”

Stores can receive a special discount on newspaper ads and customize pre-designed ads with their own information. Retailers will make their own decisions on how they participate in the event.

There are no special requirements for stores to participate.

“This whole notion of a decentralized promotion is new to us,” noted Hinsdale Director of Economic Development Tim Scott.

Commission Members Steve Potter, owner of Hinsdale Clothiers, stressed the importance of each retailer to the promotion.

“The success of it will be based on their individual store effort,” he said.

Scott and commissioners will be visiting retailers to talk to them about the event.

“It’s a great time to emphasize that the commission is doing something to help them,” noted EDC Chairman John Karstrand. “But we can’t do everything for them.”

“We have to make this successful,” said Commissioner Luis Alvarez. “We’ve got a great plan, we’ve just got to execute it.”

Key time for retailers

Potter observed that a number of merchants at Gateway Square are struggling.

“A lot of them are just pretty blue,” he said.

However, some retailers in Gateway Square and Hinsdale’s other shopping areas are seeing some encouraging signs of improvement in the local business climate, and Karstrand pointed out the critical timing of the Customer Appreciation Days event.

“This could be a real tipping point,” he said. “The main thing is getting everyone engaged. … I think this is a real key point for the village.”

Postcards promoting the event will be mailed to all Hinsdale homes and the EDC will be running ads in newspapers targeted to attract customers from surrounding communities.