Business owners in downtown Aiken work hard to attract visitors from near and far during Masters Week, which provides the opportunity for a big boost in sales.
They make sure plenty of golf-themed items are in stock, change window displays and increase their hours of operation.
At Beyond Bijoux, owner Bobby Ard and manager Nikita Hanif are dressing in white jumpsuits similar to those worn by caddies at Augusta National.
“People are having fun and enjoying downtown Aiken this week,” Ard said.
Business has been “great,” she told the Aiken Standard, but “a little bit slower” than last year because it hasn’t been raining as much.
Late in the afternoon, however, it “picks up,” Ard said.
Masters-themed dog treats and golf-themed collars, bandannas, bow ties and more are available for purchase at Downtown Dog.
“It’s been pretty busy,” said the store’s manager, Michelle Hall. “The foot traffic has been good. We’ve had a lot of different people from different states coming in.”
Many telephone calls also have been received for grooming appointments.
At Lionel Smith Ltd., “Masters Week business has been up and down, and what I mean by up and down is not negative,” said owner Van Smith. “It’s been either real busy or nobody in the store. But overall sales have been up so far from last year. When people come in, they’re spending money.”
Masters Week customer flow has been changing gradually in recent years, according Smith.
In the past, “we would have somebody in the store [shopping] all day long,” he said. “There was always somebody around.”
Catherine Gouge, co-owner of Pitter Patter Children’s Boutique and Caroline’s Boutique, has noticed an increase in Masters Week shoppers at her stores.
“It’s been busy,” she said. “We’re getting in a lot of out-of-towners. They love to buy the horse stuff or something from Aiken to take back home as a souvenir. They are excited about our downtown and are commenting on it. There are so few downtowns like this anymore where you have a main street and different shops in one small location. You can park and spend a whole day here.”
Amber Woody, co-owner of the Little Fox Shop, described Masters Week business as “great” at the store.
“Most of our customers have been from out of town, and most of the items that have been selling this week are equine- or golf-related,” she said. “The Aiken Art Walk on Tuesday was very successful. As a store with 64 artisans, we were a big stop. We had a ‘Sip n Shop’ event with wine. We also had some local fudge and some local snacks.”
Executive Chef Paige Harden reported that Masters Week has been “awesome” and “much better” than last year at the Park Avenue Oyster Bar & Grill.
In April 2023, the restaurant was a new addition to downtown.
Now that Park Avenue has had more time to get established, “we’re getting people from all over the world, and we’re gearing up for a big weekend,” Harden said Thursday.
Park Avenue has been significantly busier during dinner than during lunch, but the number of diners for lunch Thursday was up.
“I think the rain is bringing them in,” said Harden, referring to the morning precipitation.
At Plum Pudding, “we don’t see as much Masters [foot] traffic as we used to see… 20 years ago or 10 years ago even,” said co-owner Michael Enloe.
The vacant Hotel Aiken nearby is a factor, he believes.
“It used to be filled with people [during Masters Week] and we don’t have that anymore,” Enloe said.
