A DORKING trader has dismissed the town's drive to attract more Christmas shoppers as a "waste of time".
Mole Valley District Council's Christmas Crawl scheme was designed to improve footfall in the town centre by encouraging residents to visit 30 participating shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants and attractions and get a map stamped.
But Tony Lawrence, owner of Dorking Models, said the initiative's low profile had failed to get shoppers' attention.
He told the Advertiser: "I thought the publicity was total rubbish.
"The idea was good, but because no-one really seemed to know about it, it turned out to be a waste of time."
Mr Lawrence was disappointed to learn that only about 30 entrants succeeded in obtaining enough stamps to enter the draw for the top prize of a hamper containing goods donated by participating businesses.
He contributed a small-scale Scalextric set, which the overall competition winner came in to thank him for last week.
"I noted that the vast majority of my customers knew nothing about the town crawl," Mr Lawrence said.
"I handed out the 50 entry cards I was given but was concerned that I only appeared to have to stamp around 20 to 30 cards brought into me."
The Mole Valley District Council portfolio holder for planning, John Northcott, defended the scheme.
He said: "In addition to the around 30 people who completed their Christmas Crawl maps, many others took part and the businesses that were involved should see long-term benefits from this extra exposure.
"The Christmas Crawl was just one of a number of promotional activities, including the very successful Gala Night, which brought people into Dorking.
"It encouraged people to explore unfamiliar shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants and attractions."
Mr Lawrence, who has sold toys and models at his West Street premises for 40 years, said he normally enjoyed a boost in sales around the festive season but that figures had been very disappointing this year.
"It was the worst Christmas I can remember," he said.
"There was just nobody out there. It didn't feel Christmassy at all."
He added that the disappointing footfall had led him to take the decision not to extend his opening hours in December.
"For the first time since it started, I didn't stay open for the late-night shopping," he said.
"And I don't think I missed anything.
"People have to realise that the very varied local independent retail sector will not survive without people actually buying locally – not asking all the questions in the local shop and then buying online or at Bluewater, often with little or no saving after postage or petrol have been added into the equation."
