Union Square businesses hope Winter Walk will help drive up foot traffic
For generations, a shopping trip to Union Square was a Christmas tradition. But with recent seismic shifts in the retail economy, they're having to find unique ways to attract people to the area.
Saturday, the Union Square Alliance kicked off Winter Walk, an annual event to do just that.
The weather wasn't on anyone's wish list. A soaking rain kept things pretty quiet at the grand opening of Winter Walk. Two blocks of Stockton Street were cordoned off and covered with blue turf to create a pedestrian promenade complete with food trucks, mixed drinks, live music stages, and even photos with Santa and a giant costumed penguin.
"So, 'Winter Wonderland' is our district-wide initiative to celebrate the holidays," said event coordinator Liza Bernard. "The blue's kind of the 'wonderland-esque' part of it. That's why we have the glaciers and the penguins and all of that."
Regardless of Saturday's rain, the zaniness of SantaCon, with hundreds of young people dressed in Santa outfits, helped keep the atmosphere upbeat. At times the sun did come out, reminding visitors like Stacy Johnson from Seattle why the area has been world-renowned as a holiday shopping destination.
"I love coming down this time of year because of all the stuff that's going on," she said. "It's just beautiful here. And the fact that it's around all these shops--especially with this weather--get out, go into the stores, do a little shopping, get some Christmas cheer. You can't go wrong with all this stuff. It's just so happy now."
But the truth is, these are tough times for established retailers. Between the pandemic, online shopping and organized thefts, it's hard for many stores to make a go of it anymore. They're hoping things like Winter Walk can help.
"This event itself brings in so much foot traffic," said Liza Bernard, "and I think it's going to show people that we're still here, businesses are still thriving and booming, and I think we're on an upward trend right now, especially for Union Square. Especially for Macy's."
But Macy's has already announced that it will be closing its flagship store after this year and Benjamin Silowitz from Sunnyvale said more foot traffic can make a big difference in the feel of the area.
"Yeah, it seems like when they have events like this it's a little more friendly environment," he said. "Other times of the year it can be kind of scary, sometimes."
A man named Joseph was conducting a city tour under the persona of Emperor Norton, one of San Francisco's original rascals. He thought the retail district helped when they found ways to turn shopping into an event.
"Oh yes, it certainly enhances all that is going on," he said. "The more we can do to bring people downtown and let them know that it's safe to be here, that it's safe to shop, that's all the much more better for our city."
Desirae Trainer was visiting friends from her home on Catalina Island, where online shopping is the only choice. She said she had heard about Union Square, but just seeing it put her in the Christmas spirit.
"Every store you go into, every hotel, every shop is so festive and really well put together. So, I enjoyed it a lot," she said.
It may not seem like a big deal, just putting down a blue carpet and bringing in a few food trucks, but it can help remind people that Christmas shopping can be a lot more fun than just making a few clicks on a keyboard.