Jill Rose, General Manager, PayPal Here North America

 

In the early 1950s when family man Don Lima borrowed $300 from a local bank to build a single Nativity display on his front lawn, he had no idea he was launching the start of what would become a decades-old San Jose, California, holiday tradition. Now in its 35th year and dubbed Christmas in the Park, Don’s display has transformed into 2.5-acre holiday fantasy with more than 60 musical and animated exhibits, twinkling tights and a 60-foot Community Giving Tree in the Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

 

 

Aside from spreading holiday cheer to event-goers of all ages, Christmas in the Park is also an integral part of the local San Jose economy. The event, held from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, attracts more than 500,000 people from across the Bay Area and beyond, and generates an estimated $13.3 million in total visitor spending. Needless to say, this is a critical sales period for the 14 permanent vendors participating in Christmas in the Park, which range from food stands and specialty fare to photographers and apparel companies.

 

 

Over the last several years, however, Executive Director Jason Minsky and other board members noticed the increasing trend that fewer and fewer event goers carry cash, causing the cash-only, Christmas in the Park-owned Toy Shop and other participating vendors to turn away sales. The team quickly realized that in order to help its vendors grow their businesses, they needed to change this model.

 

 

That’s when Jason and the team turned to PayPal Here, which offered them a quick and cost-effective alternative to often expensive credit card machines. Trialed in 2013 at the Santa’s Toy Shop, PayPal Here allowed Christmas in the Park to better track inventory, streamline payment processes, project sales highs and lows for more effectively staffing, and increase the bottom line. They were hooked. At this year’s event, 11 of the 14 permanent vendors are currently leveraging the technology and are already seeing some great results!

 

By using PayPal Here, Christmas in the Park is giving itself and its vendors something to smile about this holiday season.

Original author: PayPal-Forward