Final Foray Brings Total to 82 Shopping Winners

Super Shopper Spotter's final "Shop the Village" foray came this afternoon in Downtown Oak Park.

Ducking out of the rain and slush, Triple S identified eight winners at spots like Shoe Soko and Competitive Foot (neither of which has anything to rival Triple S's audaciously bright red boots, we might add).

Among the businesses whose donated gift cards or certificates were distributed: Mancini's, Puree's and Pro Nails 2. In all, the program rewarded 82 shoppers as Triple S made 10 excursions all throughout the community.

Today alone, winners hailed from Ohio, Tennessee and New York--not to mention Oak Park and Melrose Park, where the final winner (pictured on right), Jo Dryjanski, resides.

During the campaign, winners hailed from more than 20 communities, with Oak Park the most common hometown, by far.

By the way, the final winner, Ms. Dryjanski, was selected as she approached the cash register at Scratch 'n' Sniff.

The location seemed a fitting spot to conclude the program, since it also served as the scene of the Super Shopper Spotter video (re-posted below for your amusement).



This marks the end of the second Shop the Village campaign. Anyone looking to visit the first campaign's web home, click here.

Meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Super Shopper Spotter wishes to convey a big thank you to all of the businesses and business leaders that supported this fun four-week campaign. Oh, and keep on Shopping this Fantastic Village!

74 Winners So Far, Only 2 More Days to Go!

Seventy-four.

With only two days remaining in this season's Shop the Village campaign, that's the number of winners thus far who have received gift cards or certificates from a variety of participating businesses. Each of the gifts is a minimum $25 value, meaning the overall largesse from local merchants is approaching $2,000.

Triple S shrugged off the snow this evening and trekked along Oak Park Avenue from Lake Street to North Boulevard (along The Avenue Business District), making it a hotbed of customer-rewarding activity. By the time his work was done, 16 more winners had been chosen to bring the campaign tally to 74.

The first stop came at Red Hen Bread, where a young man's purchase of an Izzi beverage prompted Super Shopper Spotter to award a $25 gift card to Ten Thousand Villages in Downtown Oak Park.

You can see that video here:



On his journey, Triple S also descended on an Oak Park company's holiday party at top restaurant Cucina Paradiso--four of the roughly dozen in the party were randomly selected.

Enjoy some of the celebratory photos that came at Caribou Coffee, Anana's, Avenue Nail Spa and Cucina Paradiso (one of the strongest contributors to the Shop the Village campaign, with five gift card donations.

In addition to the aforementioned Ten Thousand Villages, donors whose gift certificates were bestowed tonight were:

Pioneer Press (one-year subscriptions to any of the weekly newspaper chain's publications);

Downtown Oak Park (the gift of choosing from a variety of DTOP merchants--the organization has generously provided 10 certificates in support of the Shop the Village campaign); and

Bead in Hand, a mainstay of the Arts District.

Even with all the outpouring to date, Super Shopper Spotter still has enough gift cards for at least one more shopper-rewarding excursion between now and Christmas Eve.

So if you see him strolling about and have anything at all on your shopping list, you may be in line to become the next Super Shopper that's spotted.

15 Winners Today; Overall Tally About 60

It was a big day today for "Shop the Village" with 15 winners spotted from all across the community.

This brings to roughly 60 the total of shoppers spotted, and rewarded with $25 gift cards to participating businesses. One especially loyal local shopper is Christie Kozlik, who hails from Wagga Wagga, Australia (she says there's a Walla Walla nearby).

Christie was spotted at Oak Park Antiques and reported shopping at a wide gamut of shops, particularly those in Downtown Oak Park.

A videotaped interview with Christie is immediately below, on the heels of her winning a TGI Friday's gift certificate. That's also her in the photo above, with her winnings.



And further below are a few other winners, including one, Fran Arnold of Oak Park, who was glad to have her haircut interrupted briefly so she could win a Trader Joe's gift card.

7 More Winners on Monday Night

Triple S spotted seven more winners on Monday night, culminating with a customer at Mancini's before he sat down for a meal with his family.

Super Shopper Spotter has to eat, too, to keep up his visual and gift-giving prowess!

One of the more intriguing moments came outside the Lake Theatre, when Triple S observed Andrea Pedraza of Berwyn (above) standing in line with her family.

Her reward: a $25 Bright Ideas gift certificate. The business, in case you didn't realize, is a popular Oak Park Avenue spot where teachers and parents purchase school-related supplies. Pedraza's profession: school teacher.

Also pictured in this post is Frank Yurasek of Oak Park, identified at The Booktable and rewarded with a Wonder Works Children's Museum gift certificate. Frank is a grandfather, so he knows exactly what to do with his winnings.

Videos from throughout the Shop the Village campaign are at the Shop the Village channel on YouTube.

Ten More Winners Today...Nearly 40 Overall

It was a busy day for "Shop the Village" on Saturday, as 10 customers received $25 certificates from a variety of participating businesses throughout Oak Park.

Of the 10 prizes, four were $25 gift cards to Trader's Joe (which has contributed six overall) and two were for Trattoria 225, the fine restaurant in the Arts District. (Though participation requires only one gift card, some merchants are opting to give multiple prizes.)

One especially fun moment occurred at Snip City, 819 S. Oak Park Ave., where salon owner Pasquale Russo was in the midst of an appointment with Sara Hamilton of Oak Park when Triple S came on the scene. That's the trio in the photo above.

Immediately below is one video from the day's excursion, at Wonder Works, the Children's Museum on North Avenue. More videos are at the Shop the Village channel on YouTube.




Videos to follow, but for now, below are some other snapshots from today's outing.

Joining Shoppers in Braving The Elements

On Thursday, even sub-zero wind chills couldn't stop people from patronizing businesses in Oak Park--or Super Shopper Spotter from spotting them.

He tapped four winners: one came shortly after 5 p.m. at Trattoria 225 in the Arts District and features a video that you can see below.

Two winners were spotted at the Village Players Theatre's holiday party (one, pictured below, was John Reardon of Oak Park, who won an Oak Park Visitors Center certificate).

And one came at La Bella Pasteria (above, from among a large dinner party) near downtown. Trader Joe's, which contributed six gift cards to the "Shop the Village" effort, saw its first gift card shared in the La Bella encounter.

Entering this weekend, 25 gift cards have been shared with shoppers....and much more activity is in store for the Dec. 11-12 weekend period, so keep an eye out to try to spot Triple S before he spots you! The campaign lasts through Thursday, Dec. 24.

Enjoy below the two videos from the Thursday night outing:

Overview For Businesses Seeking to Participate

Participation is simple for any retail establishment that wants to be part of the “Shop the Village” promotion.

Each participating business:

1. Contributes a $25 gift card/gift certificate to the program.

Each reward must be a $25 gift certificate (or gift card) with no expiration date. Each participating merchant needs to provide only one (1) gift certificate/card, though some are providing more and are thereby gaining additional exposure.

The gift cards are given to random shoppers by Super Shopper Spotter (program coordinator Matt Baron). Those shoppers are photographed and, in some cases, videotaped to publicize the businesses involved in the program.

2. Distributes “Shop the Village” stickers to shoppers that come into their business.

You can also share them with non-shoppers—Super Shopper Spotter will award gift cards only to those whom he has spotted making a purchase of any amount.

3. Receives mention on the “Shop the Village” website as well as in news releases about the program.

4. Benefits from promotional support through the end of December, including VOP Channel 6, the program website (www.shopthevillage.biz) and the program YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/shopthevillageop)

On December 2, WGN TV aired a segment featuring Super Shopper Spotter identifying a customer who won a $25 gift card inside Marion Street Cheese Market. A number of other participating businesses have gained mention in local media in full-page ads in the Wednesday Journal as well as at Triblocal.com.

Want to join in the “Shop the Village” program? Here’s what you need to do next:

Drop off your gift card and pick up stickers and promotional posters at the Downtown Oak Park office at 1010 Lake St., Suite 114. Call the DTOP office at 708-383-4145 to make arrangements.

(If you are part of a group of businesses that want to be involved, you can appoint one person to handle the drop-off and pick-up duties.)

Any questions? Contact Matt Baron at 708-860-1380 or
Matt@InsideEdgePR.com

Triple S Swoops In On OPRF Chamber Meeting

One of the traits of Super Shopper Spotter is that he is liable to turn up just about anywhere, at any time, inside the borders of Oak Park.

And today, Triple S was on hand at the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours gathering.

The event was at ORG Within Your Reach, 6140 W. Roosevelt Rd., and Shop the Village's Caped Crusader of Commerce shared some words about how businesses can still jump aboard the program (see the video below).

Triple-S Nabs 7 on Friday, Raises Tally to 20

Amid the freezing climes that descended on Oak Park on Friday afternoon, seven more hearty shoppers gained recognition, and rewards, from Super Shopper Spotter. The tally brings to 20 the overall number of winners through the first week of the program.

There are three more weeks to go, concluding on Christmas Eve--Thursday, Dec. 24.

Below are a few photos--and one video--from among today's winners.

Super Shopper Spotter: The Commercial

If you were in the Downtown Oak Park area a few days ago, you might have seen some especially bizarre behavior, even by Super Shopper Spotter standards.

Thankfully, Joe Kreml, producer of the Village of Oak Park's Cable Channel 6, swiftly created this 52-second segment to help explain Triple S's antics:

More Winners Tapped in Downtown Oak Park

Some more winners were identified on Tuesday, as Super Shopper Spotter tag-teamed with Village of Oak Park Cable Channel 6 director Joe Kreml (in photograph) on creating a promotional spot shot on location in downtown Oak Park.

Along the way, while in Triple S uniform, we also selected three actual winners, bringing the total to 13.

Below is video of one lucky winner, Emily Paster of River Forest. She went to get a haircut at A Matter of Style and wound up with a $25 trim on her next visit to Cucina Paradiso as well:



To see other videos of Super Shopper Spotter in action, visit the Shop the Village video channel.

Shop the Village: The Latest Activity

Saturday, Nov. 28 featured plenty of Super Shopper Spotter activity, including trips to the Harrison Street Arts District and Downtown Oak Park.

Remember, "Triple S" has a vast reservoir of shopper-spotting stamina and he's capable of showing up at any time between now and Dec. 24 to recognize and reward you for your local shopping activity.

In all, he gave six gift certificates to lucky shoppers on Saturday. That brings to 10 the overall tally of winners, with many more to come! A purchase of any amount at participating businesses in Oak Park makes you eligible to be spotted...and rewarded.

Here are three videos from Saturday:

Gallery of 1st Day Winners: Video & Photos

On Friday, Nov. 27, Super Shopper Spotter began identifying the first winners in the latest "Shop the Village" campaign.

"Triple S" spotted customers at Marion Street Cheese Market, 100 S. Marion St.; Erik's Deli & Catering, 107 N. Oak Park Ave.; Oberweis Dairy, 124 N. Oak Park Ave.; and Papa Spiros Greek Taverna, 733 Lake St.

The Winners:

Chris Braun of Chicago (pictured, above and on video, below), at Marion Street Cheese Market. (A $25 Downtown Oak Park gift certificate)

Marisa Kirsch of Oak Park (pictured, right), at Erik's Deli. (A $25 Wells St. Popcorn gift certificate).

Siobhan Aller of Chicago (pictured below, left), at Oberweis. (A $25 gift certificate for Performance Massage Therapy, 6955 North Ave.)

Becky and Jason Bredle of Chicago (pictured below, right), at Papa Spiro's. (A $25 gift certificate for Lido's Caffe, 122 N. Marion St.).



A reminder: customers making purchases of any amount are eligible to win.

Below you can click "play" to see the video of Triple S's catching Chris Braun in the act of making a purchase at Marion Street Cheese Market.

You can also tune in to the Shop the Village online TV channel for all videos related to the local-shopping stimulus campaign.

"Shop the Village" Is Back: Nov. 27-Dec. 24

A streamlined "Shop the Village" campaign, featuring "Super Shopper Spotter" (pictured) is set to launch on Friday, Nov. 27 and last through Thursday, Dec. 24.

Over those four weeks, there will be many shoppers awarded with gift cards and gift certificates to participating "Shop the Village" merchants.

Read the news release announcing this holiday season's program at Triblocal.com. The Wednesday Journal also posted a piece you can see here.

In addition, tune in to the Shop the Village online TV channel.

If you own or operate a business that is interested in getting involved, or if you have any other questions, please contact Matt Baron, program coordinator, at 708-860-1380 or by e-mailing him at Matt@InsideEdgePR.com.

Interested in details about the first "Shop the Village" campaign? You can visit that site here.

Participating Businesses: From the 1st Campaign

Here is a list of participating businesses in the FIRST Shop the Village campaign, which ended on Jan. 31, 2009.

A

***Aiello Art & Jewelry Boutique, 1007 Madison St.
Allure Medica Spa, 137 N. Oak Park Ave., Suite 129
Al-Mart Bedding & Furniture, 7045 North Ave.
***Al's Grill, 1100 Madison St.
Anana's Boutique, 109 N. Oak Park Ave.
Anthony Lullo's Hair Salon, 721 South Blvd.
Antique Emporium on Marion, 125 N. Marion St.
A Matter of Style, 114 N. Marion St.
Art Gecko, Ltd Gallery, 19 Harrison St.

B

Barbara's Bookstore, 1100 Lake St.
***Bar Louie, 1122 W. Lake St.
Bead In Hand, 145 Harrison St.
The Book Table, 1045 Lake St.
Borders, 1114 Lake St.
Botanica, 115 N. Oak Park Ave.
Buzz Café, 905 S. Lombard Ave.


C

Camp Bow Wow, 6046 Roosevelt Rd.
Carriage Flowers, 124 N. Marion St.
***Chipotle, 1128 Lake St.
Class Plus Boutique, 130 Madison St.
***Careful Peach Boutique, 128 Harrison St.
Chameleon, 130 N. Oak Park Ave.
The Competitive Foot, 102 N. Marion St.
***Corus Bank, 7727 Lake St., River Forest
Cosi, 1101 Lake St.
Cucina Paradiso, 814 North Blvd.
***Curves, 7117-A Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn

D

Danche Guitar Co., 906 Madison St.

E

***East Lake Chiropractic, 137 N. Oak Park Ave., Suite 111
Elegant Fashions, 910 Madison St.

F

FASTFRAME, 1120 Chicago Ave.
Filoni, 131 N. Oak Park Ave.
Fitzgerald's Fine Stationery, 131 N. Marion St.
Flat Top Grill, 726 Lake St.
Fly Bird, 719 Lake St.
The Frame House, 1000 Madison St.

G

***Gallery Pink/Elkins Studio, 149 Harrison St.
Garland Flowers, 137 S. Oak Park Ave.
Geppetto's Toy Box, 730 Lake St.
The Golden Lamb, 1110 Westgate
Great Harvest Bread Co., 736 Lake St.
Green Home Experts, 823 S. Oak Park Ave.

H

Hayes' Coffee, 1010 North Blvd.
Holiday Camera, 1053 Lake St.

I

***Intuit Dance Studio, 237 Harrison St.
The Irish Shop, 100 N. Oak Park Ave.
***It's A Sign, 1114 Madison St.

J

Jerusalem Cafe, 1030 Lake St.
The Jewelry Studio, 125 N. Marion St.
***Just One More Gallery & Gifts, 203 Harrison St.


K

K9 Cookie Company, 171 S. Oak Park Ave.
***Kathy Reller Designs, 31 Harrison St., Unit G
Kelley Frame, 115 N. Marion St.

L

La Bella Pasteria, 1103 South Blvd.
Lake Theater, 1022 Lake St.
***Laury's Bakery, 12 W. Madison St.
***Let's Do It Again, 319 Madison St.
Lido's Caffé, 122 N. Marion St.
***Los Cazadores, 1113 Lake St.
Luo's Peking House, 113 N. Marion St.

M

***Magical Minds Studio, 343 Harrison St.
Magic Tree Bookstore, 141 N. Oak Park Ave.
Majamas Boutique, 909 N. Lombard Ave.
Mancini's Pizza & Pasta, 1038 Lake St.
Maple Tree Restaurant, 1034 Lake St.
Marion Street Cheese Market, 100 S. Marion St.
Maya Del Sol, 144 S. Oak Park Ave.
Mixed Company, 1107 Chicago Ave.
***Musikgarten, 344 Harrison St.
Meme's, 1109 Westgate St.
***Morava Glass Studio, 11 Harrison St.

N

Nora's Shoe Shop, 103 N. Oak Park Ave.

O

Oak Park Jewelers, 101 S. Marion St.
Oak Park Visitors Center, 158 Forest Ave.
Olive & Well, 133 N. Oak Park Ave.

P

Pagani Hair, 103 S. Oak Park Ave.
Pamela Penney Textile Arts 130 Harrison St.
Papaspiros Greek Taverna, 733 Lake St.
Paper Source, 1109 Lake St.
Performance Massage Therapy, 6955 North Ave.
Philander's, 1120 Pleasant St.
Pieritz Bros. Office Supplies, 401 South Blvd.
The Printing Store, 621 Madison St.
Prodigy Glassworks, 207 Harrison St.
Pro Nails II, 1036 Lake St.
Pumpkin Moon, 1028 North Blvd.
Puree's Pizza & Pasta, 1023 Lake St.

Q


R

Rave Wines, 1114 Chicago Ave.
Relaxation Plantation, 715 Lake St., Suite 706
Rickshaw Rick's, Oak Park-At-Large
Ridge Art Gallery, 21 Harrison St.

S

***Sahagian & Associates, Inc., 124 Madison St.
Sandra Ross Salon, 339 Harrison St.
Scents N Stuff, 1107 Westgate St.
Scratch 'n Sniff, 120 N. Marion St.
Shirtworks, 127 N. Marion St.
Spike's, 725 Madison St.
Starbucks, 1018 Lake St.
***Studio Light, 27 Harrison St., Unit G
Suburban Pet City, 6632 Roosevelt Rd.
Subway, 1000 Lake St.
Sushi House, 1107 Lake St.

T

TAKARA, 123 N. Marion St.
The Tennis and Fitness Centre, 301 Lake St.
Ten Thousand Villages Oak Park, 121 N. Marion St.
Terra Incognito Studios and Gallery, 246 Chicago Ave.
Trattoria 225, 225 Harrison St.

U

The UPS Store, 159 N. Marion St.

V

Val's Halla Records, 239 Harrison St.
Village Pilates Studio, 436 S. Ridgeland Ave.
The Village Players, 1010 Madison St.

W

Weiner Optical, 1100 Lake St.
Wells St. Popcorn, 1119 W. Lake St.
Westgate Flowers, 841 S. Oak Park Ave.
Winberie's Restaurant, 151 N. Oak Park Ave.
Wonder Works, A Children’s Museum, 6445 North Ave.
World Fashion, 1117 Lake St.

X


Y

Yani's, 818 S. Oak Park Ave.

Z