Midnight Shopping in Davis Square

by Neil W. McCabe

Merchants and shoppers put in a late night Thurday when a coalition of six Davis Square retail stores stayed open until midnight.

“This was a great thing,” said Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah L. Gewirtz, whose ward includes Davis Square. “It proves that retail is alive and well in Davis Square.”

Cibeline Sariano

The Midnight Shopping began last year as a joint effort by three Holland Street stores, Chinook, Black and Blue and Cibeline, said Cibeline Sariano, who also organized the publicity for this year’s event.

The original stores were joined by Magpie at 378A Highland Ave.; Spark, the yarn and knitting store at 50 Grove St.; Poor Little Rich Girl, the off-price fashion store at 255 Elm St. and McIntyre Moore, the second hand book store at also at 255 Elm St., she said.

Sariano said the night was an unqualified success. Her foot traffic was three times what she would get on a busy Saturday. At 10:30 p.m., she had already counting 299 customers with her hand clicker. “I have been packed full.”

The owner of Poor Little Rich Girl, Meredith L. Byam-Miller, said she could not participate in the planning as much as she wanted to because she was too busy moving from the Highland Avenue location of seven years.

Byam-Miller said she kept in touch with the other stores through constant e-mails and that she now feels a greater sense of community among the businesses. “It was great to band together. I hope we can do more things like this.”

Davis Square is now a shopping destination, she said. “People come from out of town to shop here.”

One of the shoppers at Poor Little Rich Girl, Ariel Waters, said she was just able to get home from work and start shopping at 10 p.m.

Waters said her work and commute schedule makes it impossible for her to shop during the week.

Two fashion majors from Framingham State College, Joanna M. Holmes and Kelly M. Raymond did not know about the Midnight Shopping until they arrived in Davis Square, Holmes said.

Holmes said the two seniors came to Davis Square with three other friends to hang out at The Burren. As the they were climbing out of a car they saw the commotion at Poor Little Rich Girl and popped in to see.

“That was an hour ago and we are still here,” Raymond said.

At Chinook the hot item was anything made with “Cashmore Fleece” by the Horny Toad company, said Lynne Graham, the store’s owner.

Like the other stores, Chinook was selling “Somerville is for Lovers” tee-shirts to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition, she said. Grahman said her business was roughly twice a busy Saturday.

“The weather helps,” said Thomas W. Byrd, who with his wife Melyssa B. Byrd, owns Black and Blue.

Byrd said he is the great, great-grand nephew of the North Pole explorer, Adm. Robert Byrd, and he was glad the night did not present the same challenges of the North Pole.

The hot items at his store that night were the Michael Stars shirts and items from the Free People line, by the same company that owns Urban Outfitters, he said.

His wife said she was very excited by how busy the store was by staying open later. Normally the store closes at 7 p.m., but Christmas shopping they will stay open until 9 p.m.

At 11:30 p.m. there was a line of 75 to 100 customers clutching needles, beads and yarn waiting to be rung up at Spark.

“We only have one cash register,” said Amy L. Appleyard, who with Jan M. Stephenson, owns the yarn emporium.

As the two women plodded along, the patrons carried on conversations and seemed to want to be nowhere else. When new customers came in the store they would look at the glacial line ahead of them and proceeded to shop regardless.

Appleyard said yarns and beads were the fastest movers.

By 11:50 p.m. there were no more crowds at McIntyre Moore.

“It has been as busy if not busier than on a busy Saturday,” said clerk Matthew A. Rowe, who was ringing up a hardcover copy of The Aneid.

Rowe said he could not point to a trend for the night. “Are patrons are as eclectic as our collection.”

The tall street clock on Elm Street would not be denied. At midnight the stores dimmed their signs, locked their doors and started folding and straightening for the next day of commerce.