Holiday profits surprised many Evanston retailers who expected a dismal turnout this season. Many business owners said that they at least broke even because of collaboration among themselves and the Chamber of Commerce.

“We had a spectacular holiday, better than last,” said Paul Giddings, owner of Folkworks Gallery on the 1300 block of Chicago Avenue. “I think people were shopping closer to home this year.”

On Dec. 7, Giddings and other members of the Chicago/Dempster Merchants Association tried to lure more customers into their stores by paying the sales tax for shoppers. Merchants developed the idea at a meeting in October, said Polly McGuire, vice president of the association and owner of Pollywood at 613 Dempster St. They based the idea on a failed congressional bill from the fall that called for the government to share the sales tax burden with consumers during the holiday season, McGuire said.

“It was an added incentive for people to shop that night,” she said. “We had a great turnout.” McGuire’s store sells gift items created by local and international artists. “We definitely made a profit even though Evanston’s sales tax is high.”

Shoppers pay 8.75 percent total sales tax. About one quarter of that goes to the city. The state receives more than half of the total and the remaining amount goes to the Regional Transportation Authority and Cook County, according to Jonathan Perman, the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.

Not all of the stores were as impressed with the turnout on the tax-free night. Andrea Dizincenzo of the Pot Shop, 604 Dempster St., said not as many shoppers came to the store as she expected.

“It really didn’t have much bearing on the outcome,” she said. “But the whole season was better than expected.”

A representative from the Mexican Shop, 801 Dempster St., said the store did not participate in paying sales tax for shoppers because the owners were not sure it would result in an overall profit.

The stores involved in the tax-free shopping night hung posters advertising the event. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce along with EvMark, a nonprofit marketing group for downtown Evanston, continued a year-old poster campaign all over Evanston. They also placed ads on the Chicago Transit Authority and on the local National Public Radio affiliate encouraging people to shop in Evanston throughout the holiday season, Perman said.

“It’s time people started realizing what a great downtown we have,” said Dick Peach, chairman of the small business department at the Chamber of Commerce and manager of Dempster Auto Rebuilders, Inc. “The program was long overdue.”

Perman said the extra advertising and perks by individual stores and merchants organizations probably helped increase sales.

“Anecdotally, people seem to have had a good season,” Perman said. “But as far as proof it will be a few months until we get the sales facts figures from the state.”

While merchants rely on increased sales from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the holiday shopping season is not as important to Evanston as it is in other communities. The holiday season mostly affects retail businesses, which account for only 20 percent of Evanston’s businesses. As for the stores that depend on sales to students, the holiday season does not bring more business because most students leave Evanston for Winter Break.

“But still the holiday season is the biggest,” Perman said.