Insider Trading

The racks and tables of clothes, shoes and toys displayed outside the entrances of many Santa Ana stores will be cleared away under an ordinance approved by the City Council on Monday night.

Citing safety concerns and aesthetics, city officials proposed banning outdoor retail displays. Until now, merchants have been allowed to roll out racks of clothes and set up tables displaying their merchandise in covered store entryways.

“With the merchandise out there, it actually impeded the ability of people going in, and the effect was that people would walk away and leave the stores,” Councilwoman Alberta D. Christy said. “I think with the action we are taking today, this is going to be a very positive action.”

Enforcement will begin in January. The ordinance does not apply to sale of seasonal items such as Halloween pumpkins and Christmas trees outside grocery and discount stores or on separate lots.

The issue arose during discussions of the city’s sign code and ways to improve the look of the downtown shopping area. The ban, however, will affect stores citywide. Pushcart vendors will not be affected.

“We’ve got folks who run the gamut. Some may just have one rack with a few items hanging on it. Then we may have someone who uses cardboard boxes as display stands, and then there are people who have several tables set up in front of the entrance,” said Charles View, the city’s downtown development manager. “It’s a safety issue. People need to be able to get out of a building safely, especially emergency personnel.”

Using outdoor displays has become popular among downtown merchants. On a typical day, a dozen displays--some small and discreet, others quite cluttered--can be found along a two-block stretch of 4th Street, between Sycamore and Main streets.

Many merchants said before the meeting that they rely on the displays to draw customers and fear that without them, business will drop. “We do pretty good with the displays out there,” said Juanita Garcia, a manager at Cactus Jack’s Western wear. “It’s our key to bringing in customers.”

At the council session, however, nobody spoke against the proposal.