Shopping idea just the ticket for store

AN ingenious idea to save Christmas shoppers from the parking ticket stopwatch is paying dividends for one CBD business.

Music City owner Ric Montgomery has been struggling with ideas to keep customers in the shop since paid weekend parking was introduced this year.

His business manager Katrina Humphrey formulated a cunning plan. “She said everyone’s freaking out about getting fines so they run in and run out,” he said. “How about we pay for their parking to keep them in for longer?”

Any customer who brings in their parking ticket – the receipt, not the fine – will get the price knocked off the cost of their purchase from now until Christmas, no matter the day.

Mr Montgomery said the scheme was working wonders so far, except when one cheeky bloke bought a $2 guitar pick and tried to get his parking fee reimbursed.

“I reckon every shop should do it over Christmas,” he said.