This year's early display of holiday lights on State Street has garnered interest from local businesses and students despite the Nov. 6 installation, and the city backs its decision to start marketing the holidays.
""The rollout of holiday marketing is around mid-November and is pretty much industry wide,"" said Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison Central Business Improvement District. ""The marketing gives a boost to the industry downtown.""
Some concerned citizens are questioning the early marketing of the holidays and if it actually increases revenue for businesses, or if it is overkill. Mark Amrkdunbar, manager of Steve and Barry's, 636 State St., does not approve of the early commercialism of Christmas.
""I hate it, but people in retail say that the early holiday marketing is because the rest of the year is so bad, they try to make up for [it],"" Amrkdunbar said.
Sisters Eva and Molly Chaudoir said the lights on State Street made them not want to start their Christmas shopping, and in essence, created an effect opposite to the city's intentions.
""I don't think that these decorations belong here until after Thanksgiving,"" Eva Chaudoir said. ""It feels like skipping a holiday.""
The growth in the Madison area has naturally brought aspects of bigger cities to the downtown area, illustrated by new businesses in the downtown area.
UP Spatique, 619 State St., is a new store on Madison's famous street. Co-owner Tim Lovejoy-Dailey thinks that the early holiday start in the retail arena is a sign of the progressiveness of downtown Madison.
""I don't think holiday decorations are going up any earlier,"" Lovejoy-Dailey said. ""Really, all the holidays around this time are rolled into one, starting with Thanksgiving.""
Mary Carbine of BID said she wants to give the smaller Madison businesses around State Street an equal advantage to the bigger chain stores. ""We want independent businesses downtown to have a fair shake against their competition in the malls,"" Carbine said.
Carbine was also quick to explain how the city is using new energy-saving LED lights, which were purchased in 2004, to replace string lights. She said the lights will use 90 percent less energy than the previous incandescent lights.
Mario Mendoza, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's assistant, claims the holiday decorations are a positive aspect of downtown and benefit the city.
""This is an accepted and welcomed addition to the seasonal landscape,"" Mendoza said. ""More and more people are coming downtown to do their holiday shopping.""
