French Quarter retailers look for ways to target local shoppers

New Orleans CityBusiness, Dec 5, 2005 by April Capochino

The decline in tourism is forcing French Quarter retailers to think of new ways to target local shoppers. Retail experts say many businesses would not survive without Louisiana shoppers.It would be nice for Louisianians to do some of their holiday shopping down in the French Quarter, said Dawn Johnson, executive director of the Louisiana Retailers Association. Before the storm, the French Quarter businesses relied on tourism. If they're going to stay they have to tap into some other market to get people down there. And we all need to start supporting them.

Business owners on Lower Decatur Street have been relying on each other to stay afloat. The strip of stores sits behind the French Market, a top tourist attraction.Rhonda Findley and David Gordin own Funrock'n, which sells vintage and retro T-shirts, toys, tin lunch boxes and features a $1 joke rack. Findley says if they can get customers into their store, they can promote other stores on the street.This is a hard-core group of small-business owners, said Findley.

We want people to discover us. If we can get them on the street spending money and if they like it here, they'll tell others about it.Unlike the Carnival bead and T-shirt shops on Bourbon Street, the Lower Decatur Street shops sell specialty items. Rings of Desire Body Piercing is the only piercing shop in the French Quarter. On the right day, musician Lenny Kravitz may stop in. Owner Elayne Angel is a good friend of Kravitz as well as his piercer.

Angel also owns Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga, a clothing store for small- breed dogs. Fiorella's Cafe, known for its world famous fried chicken, is next to Funrock'n. The Artist's Market, which features work by local artists, including paintings, photos, jewelry and sculptures, is across the street from the French Market. Le Garage specializes in vintage military surplus, collectibles and other New Orleans themed items. Rock & Roll Collectibles features the largest selection of vintage vinyl in the city. Most businesses on Lower Decatur reopened shortly after Hurricane Katrina.We've been open since Sept. 5, said Jan Burrows, owner of The Artist's Market. Mainly we had relief workers and some locals but not too many.

Burrows said the weekend after Thanksgiving was busier with some locals shopping at the store but shop owners say the streets are empty of tourists during the week.The tourism hasn't been reinstituted yet so we're left with what's here, said Angel. And that's mainly relief workers and military.

And some contractors, too.On a Monday afternoon, Greg Leary and John Pye, Verizon Communications workers from New York, bought T- shirts, magnets, drinking glasses and some beads for their children from Funrock'n and Gargoyles Clothing, which specializes in gothic clothing. They accidentally found the strip of stores one night while looking for a bar.We were driving through and saw all of these stores and decided to come back and check it out, said Pye.Promotion keyPeople think it's just a tourist attraction, said Gordin. But it's a gem down here. There's nothing else like it.

Greg Rackham and his son, Christian, opened an antique shop called Bottom of the Barrel the weekend after Thanksgiving. The Austin, Texas, duo said they came to New Orleans to sell affordable antique items to people rebuilding their lives.Johnson said the key to keeping the French Quarter retailers in business is promotion, adding that the upcoming Dec. 16-18 tax-free shopping weekend is the perfect time to do that.Advertising, advertising, advertising, said Johnson. It would be nice if the (state) tourism office could do some promotion a 'Dec. 16, 17, 18 - visit the Quarter package.' And include that there is hotel space available. Louisiana citizens need to venture out and vacation in our state for awhile.