CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Business has been up and down at Chels Marie Boutique on Chaparral Street in Downtown Corpus Christi since it opened three years ago.
This year's holiday shopping season is off to a strong start though, and now shoppers are being lured to the area through the Merry Dashprogram.
If you check in online at enough participating Downtown businesses, you'll receive prizes thanks to the program's creators — Visit Corpus Christi and the Downtown Management District.
“They do a fantastic job," Chels Marie Boutique owner Chelsea Nye said of the two organizations. "I just feel like they just draw people in. They work tirelessly trying to get everything to where people can feel good about being downtown."
Seventeen businesses are taking part in Merry Dash.
Visit Corpus Christi Brand Manager America Segura says if you check in at five of them, you receive a sticker with a special 'home for the holidays' logo on it.
If you check in at nine you'll get a koozie.
And if you hit all 17 businesses, it's a free t-shirt.
“The goal of the program was really to showcase the downtown area as well as the businesses and really get people enjoying and see how Downtown Corpus Christi has really thrived throughout the holiday season," Segura said.
At the boutique, the Dash is working.
Nye says she saw several people were talking about the program at her story on Friday.
“Come on down and have fun going around to some of the different businesses and seeing what Downtown really has to offer," she said.
