Royal Oak Ready for Small Business Saturday
(Downtown Royal Oak, Nov. 22, 2018, orig. Nov. 19, 2018)
Royal Oak, MI- The Royal Oak DDA is celebrating the independently operated retail shops and boutiques in our downtown on Small Business Saturday, this November 24th, by launching several initiatives that include free parking in the parking garages on Small Business Saturday, a special holiday giveaway for shoppers, Lyft promotions code for Thanksgiving Weekend and by launching the much-anticipated Downtown Royal Oak advertising campaign.
Free Parking on Small Business Saturday
The Royal Oak DDA is providing FREE PARKING all day in the parking garages on Small Business Saturday, November 24th. The costs of parking are being picked-up by the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority (DDA), who is promoting the day to support small businesses in downtown. The three parking structures in downtown where parking will be free include the North Lafayette Avenue garage with 517 spaces, South Lafayette Avenue garage with 451 spaces, and the dual Center Street garages with 985 spaces, offering a combined 1,917 free parking spaces. Download a parking guide at www.rethinkro.com for more information.
“When you arrive at a garage, no need to stop and pay. It’s free all day so you can just pull into the garage and find a spot,” says Jay Dunstan, Chair of the Royal Oak DDA. “Typically, parking is free for the first two hours before 5:00 p.m., but this promotion will make parking free all day with no time limit,” Dunstan added. The request to continue free parking came from small business owners in Downtown Royal Oak, who said that the Saturday free parking promotion was a major marketing feature for them during last year’s Small Business Saturday.
Lyft Ridesharing Code
The Royal Oak DDA is offering a ride-sharing discount code with Lyft for people who wish to use the service to go to and from Downtown Royal Oak. Lyft riders can use the code THANKSRO when ordering a Lyft ride to receive $2 off the price of a ride. The promotion will run from Wednesday, November 21 through Saturday, November 24th.
“Ride-sharing is an efficient and hassle-free way to get to and from downtown Royal Oak amidst the holiday traffic without having to park, so it also frees up parking spaces,” said Downtown Manager Sean Kammer. “We encourage everyone to travel safely during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. If you’re going out with friends for drinks at one of our many downtown destinations, it’s important that you plan accordingly. If you have a few drinks, we prefer you use a ridesharing service rather than drive, which is one of the reasons why we are working with Lyft to offer this discount,” he added.
Special Shopping Promotion
Shoppers who spend $25 or more at participating retailer location on Small Business Saturday will receive a free Royal Oak holiday canvas tote and Royal Oak holiday ornament, featuring Romi, the city’s mascot. These gifts are available all-day during business hours at each location while supplies last.
“The Royal Oak DDA is looking out for the little guy this holiday season. This is a great way to support our small businesses, who form the backbone of what makes Royal Oak such a popular destination,” said Downtown Manager Sean Kammer.
Retailers participating in the ornament and tote give-away on Small Business Saturday are:
Burn Rubber 306 S. Main Street
Chrome 120 W. Fourth Street
Cream Blends 202 W. Fourth Street
Deco Doug 106 W. Fourth Street
Elements Fine Jewelry 512 S. Center Street
Five 15 Media Mojo More 600 S. Washington Avenue
Hihi 225 W. Fourth Street
La Roche 509 S. Washington Avenue
Lift Designer Toys & Gallery 228 W. Fourth Street
Lily’s Seafood Grill and Brewery 410 S. Washington Avenue
Motor City Gas Whiskey 325 E. Fourth Street
Noir Leather 124 W. Fourth Street
Rail and Anchor 502 S. Washington Avenue
Scout 508 S. Washington Avenue
Toyology 119 S. Main Street
Write Impressions 407 S. Washington Avenue
Downtown Advertising Campaign
Downtown Royal Oak is launching its advertising campaign to promote downtown as a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. The advertising campaign highlights Downtown Royal Oak’s greatest strengths such as its vast number of restaurants, unique shops, cafes, and salons.
The campaign is launching the week of Monday, November 19, just in time for Thanksgiving, holiday shopping, and Small Business Saturday. The first phase of the campaign will begin with seven billboard ads in circulation throughout Oakland County along I-75, four holiday radio ads on Pandora and 100.3 WNIC holiday music station, TV and streaming video spots, as well as digital online banner ads. The advertisements were created by Royal Oak’s own Factory Detroit Incorporated, which was selected by the DDA to create several creative assets for the DDA’s use in promoting the downtown.
Find Downtown Royal Oak on Facebook.