By Cari Easterday
The Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Small Business Team, in collaboration with our diverse small business community, launched the inaugural 25 Days of December campaign over the holiday season. The team delivered one of DDP’s most robust and inclusive small business marketing campaigns to date.
25 Days of December
We created a holiday adventure card for which participating businesses provided a sticker to each customer that resulted in a direct business purchase and immediate incentive reward toward the purchase. A diverse mix of 40 businesses participated, allowing visitors to explore all throughout Downtown Detroit.
25 Days of December was designed to increase foot traffic and bring awareness to the more than 290 small businesses that create Downtown’s vibrant retail and dining scene. The campaign offered unique experiences for residents, employees and visitors to shop, dine and discover Downtown for 25 days in December.
“25 Days of December” was made possible by support from Diversified Members Credit Union, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and Hudson-Webber Foundation. Additionally, GW Home generously supported the campaign by providing the grand prize.
Putting things in context
In December 2025, national retail traffic in downtowns decreased approximately 5% from 2024 according to a recent Globe St report. Downtowns have continued to feel the effects of softer tourism, reduced evening activity, adverse weather conditions, and more caution on discretionary spending. Downtown Detroit’s retail traffic was consistent with this national data. While the district traffic was down, the impact from 25 Days of December resulted in almost half of the participating businesses seeing an increase in foot traffic year over year.
The participating businesses distributed 703 stickers during the 25 days, creating 703 direct purchases because of the campaign. Of these businesses, 47.5% outperformed the overall Downtown district in visits year over year.
Local impact and trends
The year-over-year analysis shows that while overall Downtown visitorship was down approximately 4.26% from 2024, businesses participating in the campaign saw an increase of 1.5% in visitor activity. More telling is the data when you dive deeper. The most active businesses (42.5% of the participants) saw a 17.4% year-over-year growth rate showing a strong relationship between the engagement level of the business and the impact on foot traffic.
The success of the campaign was not only dependent on business participation but also the robust marketing strategy. The 25 Days of December was able to leverage digital, social, and media relations throughout the campaign reaching an audience of more than 5.4 million people and publicity value of more than $275,000 for the Downtown.
The TV and radio media provided several collaborative opportunities for DDP to promote the campaign, and we took this as an opportunity to highlight small businesses.
Pam Washington of Threads and Legs participated in one of the TV spotlights and shared her experience:
“Working with the Downtown Detroit Partnership during the holiday campaign was seamless and impactful. Their support amplified our visibility in a meaningful way, driving real-time customer engagement and continued interest well beyond the initial news segment. It’s a great example of how strong partnerships help local businesses thrive in downtown Detroit.”
The success of the inaugural 25 Days of December campaign demonstrates the power of intentional collaboration. Even in a challenging retail environment, the program drove direct purchases and measurable foot traffic gains for participating businesses. This was done while also amplifying the visibility of Downtown Detroit’s diverse and unique offerings through thoughtful and inclusive marketing efforts.
This campaign is an example of how DDP aims to uplift the community through the implementation of impactful programs and initiatives that cultivate economic and social impact in Downtown Detroit.
