A mob of Prince Rupert shoppers left the Argosy with $1,000 in merchandise last week as part of a new campaign encouraging Rupertites to shop local.
"It was a pilot and a successful one. It drew a couple dozen shoppers to one of Prince Rupert's newest businesses," explained Jasper Nolos, Community Economic Development projects coordinator for Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest.
The Cash Mob campaign has participants commit to spending at least $20 in a small business, with mobsters not being told what business will be targeted until they arrive.
Argosy owner Frances Riley appreciated being the first target of the initiative, getting 22 individual transactions in an hour while also generating in-store traffic from curious by-passers wanting to know what was going on.
Following its success, Cash Mob organizers Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest, the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce and RupertReigns.com have decided to continue with the initiative on a quarterly basis.
"Cash Mob is taking nominations from the community through Facebook. All you have to do is go to the Rupert Reigns Facebook page, like the page, and comment with a business that you'd like to see get cash mobbed and use the hashtag #Spend20," said Nolos.