Final figures are not in but Jim Ritchie, president of BiG, reckoned the previous year’s total would be exceeded.

The promotion is funded by sponsorship of $10,000 from the council, the White Rock Wind Farm, Best Employment and Business in Glen itself (which is made up of local businesses). This was then used as prize money in the series of draws on Saturday mornings in the run-up to Christmas.

The big change has been that in the early years of the scheme, there were a few big prizes. This past December, there were far more – 40 $250 vouchers to be won. On top of that, winners could keep their winning dockets in for succeeding draws.

Mr Ritchie’s measure of success was that they had had to use a bigger barrel for the draws much earlier in the promotion, indicating that far more people had participated.

In December 2016, $1.32 was spent in participating businesses on goods which earned people a docket to compete. Mr Ritchie thought that total would be exceeded in 2017.

If there is to be improvement, he felt that staff at participating shops could do more to promote the competition, say by telling customers about it.

The system was simple and so perhaps easier to promote: spend more than $20 in a participating shop, leave your name and contact details on a docket and place it in one of six bins around town. 

The other change in the system is to give spendable vouchers rather than goods as prizes. In the early years, the winner might get a car and then drive it away. In the current system, spending remains within Glen Innes, and winning dockets can be spent up until next Christmas.

It was the tenth time the initiative by the Business in Glen forum has taken place. “It’s great to have something like this in the town”, said Moira Munro of Timbs Pharmacy as it got underway in December, 

“It’s amazing how much you can buy here if you have a look”.

What isn’t known – and probably can’t be quantified easily – was whether total spending overall in the town was up over previous years.

Has Glen Innes made any inroad against the relentless competition from bigger shopping centres like Armidale or from online retailers?

Attempts to attract late night shoppers didn’t always work, in one case perhaps because of torrential rain which drowned out any urge to get out and spend – sausage-sizzle enticement notwithstanding.