NORWICH – The second Chenango Cash Mob will get underway at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, this time bringing local shoppers to “mob” Thymely Treasures on the corner of South Broad and East Main Streets in downtown Norwich.
The Chenango County Cash Mob, orchestrated and launched by the Norwich Business Improvement District and Commerce Chenango, is an effort to gather large groups of local consumers to one downtown business at the same time, on the same day, to purchase items in support of that business and the community as a whole. For the last month, organizers have been taking nominations for businesses to be “mobbed.” Locals then voted for their favorite local retailer using an online poll made available via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
“This is a great chance for everyone to show support of a local business,” said BID Director Roz DeRensis. DeRensis herself was part of the mob that took to Ms. B’s Warehouse in July, when the business was voted for the first mobbing. “It’s a great way to provide healthy competition for merchants in the downtown area, and for them to promote their business and show off what they have to offer.”
When all the votes were tallied, Thymely Treasures emerged as a clear favorite among voters, receiving 189 of the total 325 votes cast. Other nominees included McLaughlin’s Department Store, Solstice Whole Foods, Hayes Office Products, Made in Chenango, and Seasons Gift Shop.
“This has been a wonderful way to support every local business,” said Thymely Treasures owner Susan Wood. “It’s a necessary event to bring local business to the forefront. I’m incredibly happy that I was chosen this time around.”
Wood has been the sole owner and operator of her business since it first opened its doors in the spring of 2010. “It’s been a lifelong dream for me,” she said, recalling the risk she faced in leaving behind a professional career to pursue a name for herself as a local entrepreneur. Beginning as a small gift shop that sold knick-knacks and a colorful array of home decor, Thymely Treasures has expanded its inventory threefold over the years and now includes items like jewelry, soaps and childrens’ books – items Wood said she never anticipated being available in her store.
“I’ve adapted because the marketplace told me what I needed to carry,” Wood said, noting that the closing of First Edition Book Store on Broad Street earlier this year led her to add children’s books to the shelves of her gift shop.
“I’m happy of how far I’ve come and where my business is now,” she added. “I have to say, I’m being successful, even if it has been frightening and a struggle sometimes ... When I have a goal in mind, I just go for it.”
“I’m excited that Thymely Treasures was voted. Her store is so unique and based on her interests as well as her customers’ interests. That’s something national chains can’t do,” DeRensis noted. “She’s worked hard to promote her store and we’re excited to have it in the downtown district.
While the mobbing is open for anyone to take part, there are a few rules for mobbers, said DeRensis. Mobbers are encouraged to wear green – the color of money – spend at least $10 each, and have fun.