Cash Mob coming to Brookline stores

By Brock Parker, Town Correspondent

The Brookline Chamber of Commerce is organizing its first-ever “Cash Mob” to help businesses that have been hurt by construction along Beacon Street during the past year.

The Cash Mob is loosely based on the idea for “flash mobs” in which participants show up at a set location and perform a seemingly spontaneous choreographed performance.
But instead of performing, a Cash Mob is intended to gather a group of people to shop in one store at a designated time to bring in an influx of cash to the store, according to the chamber.

“It’s an easy and fun way to support your community,” said Harry Robinson, the executive director of Brookline’s Chamber of Commerce, in a press release announcing the event.

On March 24 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Chamber is encouraging the Cash Mob to descend on the St. Mary’s business district along Beacon Street, where merchants have complained that a major sewer separation project has deterred customers from visiting the area in recent months.

The area near the St. Mary’s T stop and the Brookline/Boston line is the home of a number of stores including the Kolgian Oriental Rug Gallery, to Johnnie’s Fresh Market, Economy Hardware, O’Leary’s Pub, Busy Bee Diner and Tatte’s Fine Cookies & Cakes.

The cash “Mobbers” are being encouraged to spend about $20 in the area. The Chamber will have a table set up in front of the Beacon Street Tavern to give out “Cash Mob” stickers to all of the mobbers.

The Cash Mob is being conducted in conjunction with National Cash Mob Day.

More information about the event can be found on facebook.com/BrooklineChamber or by following the Chamber on Twitter @BrooklineChmbr.