Working to make Sunday a shopping day in Port

Sundays may become busier in downtown Port Washington this summer thanks to an initiative by Port Main Street Inc.

Executive Director Amanda Baldwin said Port Main Street is working to increase the number of hours businesses in downtown are open on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which she said is a prime time for visitors and local residents to visit the shopping district.

“We average about 5,000 visitors on Sundays (during the summer),” Baldwin said. “The opportunity is clear — people are already coming here. We want to work together to capture more of that traffic, encourage visitors to stay longer and give them a reason to return.

“When your store is closed, you’re missing out on that opportunity. If we can rally together and create an atmosphere that’s vibrant and exciting, I think we’re all just going to benefit from it.”

Currently, some businesses are closed on Sundays and some of those that are open have limited hours, Baldwin said.

When those store hours end early and restaurants open later, there’s little for people to do during a part of the day, she said.

“Our hours just don’t align,” Baldwin said. “We’re looking to create an inviting atmosphere that keeps people downtown and bridges that gap.”

Sundays are the second busiest day of the week for downtown Port, second only to Saturdays, Baldwin said, adding it’s important to bring not only visitors but residents to downtown.

“I do think Sunday is kind of a leisure day. People are a little less busy. Maybe they just want to come downtown and see what the shops have to offer,” she said.

“By collectively expanding or standardizing Sunday hours — and creating special experiences or promotions — we can make downtown a more vibrant, all-day destination.”

Baldwin said Main Street reached out to downtown businesses to ask them to help in the effort.

“For some people, it might be staying open an hour later,” she said. “For some people, they might have a promotion that day. Some people might provide an experience, live music.”

The response, Baldwin said, has been positive, with store owners offering a range of activities and additional hours.

“A lot of people are willing to stay open a little longer,” she said. “The success of this pilot program depends on strong collaboration — the more businesses that are involved, the greater the impact.

“And at the end of the day, it’s just going to bring more money into downtown, which benefits our stores, and it’s going to bring visitors back to the city.

“That’s a big thing.”

Port Main Street Inc. has committed money to market the initiative, and the Port Tourism Council will also market it in an effort to amplify the benefit.

Through the years, Baldwin said, many people have talked about the need to keep stores open longer not only on weekends but also on weekdays, giving local residents a chance to shop downtown on their way home from work.

That’s not the purpose of this program, she said, but it may become a natural outgrowth.

“This is our starting point,” she said. “I think this will give us a good idea if expanded hours benefit us.”