Like you actually need an excuse to shop at the West Side Bazaar? Well, maybe, for some strange reason, you forgot to put the West Side Bazaar on your list of destinations for holiday shopping. If so, that’s OK, because I’m hear to remind you that this Saturday a cash mob will descend upon the bazaar. Cash mobs are designed to gift financial boosts to worthy businesses (did you know that the idea was born in Buffalo?) It’s kinda like scheduling a Black Friday for a business that is on the radar of organizers for whatever reason – maybe the business is in an up and coming commercial district, maybe it’s a new business, or a business that has weathered its share of temperamental fluctuations in the economy.
Regardless of the reason, the idea of a cash mob is great. “I saw that there had already been a few cash mobs in Buffalo,” said Genna Mitchell, an employee at the International Institute of Buffalo. “But nobody had targeted our growing immigrant population yet. I talked to a few other people who were enthusiastic about the idea and we started to organize… to shake up the holiday consumerism a little bit, and to let everyone see just how ambitious our immigrant population is. And with the holidays [here], when will there be a better time to come together?”
*There will be free hot chocolate as well as discount coupons offered to shoppers who show up between 11 am and 2 pm this Saturday, December 21st. Shoppers are also encouraged to don their ugly sweaters or other holiday attire and stick around for a photo after the mob.
If you can’t make it to the event, stop in and grab some Bazaar Bucks for friends and family who will surely appreciate a delicious ethnic meal or a long list of gifts available at the market stalls.
West Side Bazaar | Facebook | 25 Grant Street, Buffalo, New York 14213 | (716) 464-6389