Banners in empty Glen Ellyn storefronts drumming up business

A campaign to drum up business for Glen Ellyn's empty downtown storefronts might have gotten its first bite last week.

Officials at the Glen Ellyn Economic Development Corporation say a banner that aims to recruit businesses sparked interest from a prospective business owner, who called the group looking for more information.

Executive Director Janie Patch said that was exactly the response she had hoped for.

"(The campaign) improves our stores and makes for a more attractive shopping district," she said. "It helps with the vitality of the district. Customers are not impressed by vacancies."

Each of the storefronts has two banners: one with the call to "Imagine your business here" and another with a specific retail product image.

One of the banners has an art supply store theme while another has kitchen products. The banners then have contact information for the corporation and where to call for grant information.

Patch said this is not the first time banners have been tried but that the new ones are nothing too fancy.

"We have had them before but these are very large, very simple and straightforward," Patch said.

"We don't have the control over what can come in," she said. "But some of the products give the suggestion for the kinds of stores we are actively seeking. We are actively trying to recruit certain kinds of retailers we know would be a hit."

The stores would complement existing downtown businesses and are part of an overall strategy on the future of downtown Glen Ellyn. Window merchandising experts consulted the group and downtown business owners.

"It was the evolution of the idea of wanting to have our windows be active at all times to work better for the stores that are already here," Patch said. "It was putting those ideas together with the best merchandise advice to help us get a nice improvement to our downtown's vitality."