Claudi Justen of the “Wunderbar” shop in Friedrichstraße styled a mannequin with straw hat, “Heimat Shoppen” bags and matching T-shirt and put it on display in front of her shop. “A lot of people come to us and say: I need this or that. We give them recommendations or look for an alternative. You don’t get that on the internet,” she said. It was up to small business owners to show that diversity makes a city more livable and to make shopping more attractive.

The theme was echoed by area retail associations. It was up to customers to retain the variety of merchants in the area by supporting them with their business. At the same time, the goal was not to create controversy about online shopping. In Bonn, there are 853 retailers registered, 1,309 in Rhine-Sieg County. As well, there are 273 larger restaurants in Bonn. To keep it that way, the retail associations printed 90,000 paper bags, 140,000 flyers and 1,300 posters to distribute to area merchants to help spread the word.

In Bonn city center, the posters and bags were not visible everywhere yet on Friday. They were at the smaller shops, but also at Kaufhof department store. Organizers say the goal is not to create more profit this weekend but to create a long-term awareness amongst consumers. A city is not just for shopping but it’s also a place to meet friends for a Cappuccino or attend a kids festival or other event. In Rheinbach, stores will be open on Sunday in connection with “Heimat Shoppen.”

Orig. text: Martin Wein