ELLSWORTH — The mob advanced on the register at J&B Atlantic Co. Thursday.

Wielding wallets instead of torches, the group paid for its loot. The haul included vases, tableware, candles, a lighthouse statue and a word game in a banana-shaped pouch.

The Ellsworth Noontime Rotary organized the “cash mob” at the Main Street store. During a cash mob, a group of people gathers at a local business to shop at a designated time.

“I saw [cash mobs] online and thought, ‘Ellsworth ought to be doing this,’” said Noontime Rotarian Joshua Torrance.

The goal of the mobs is to support local businesses and the economy. The national trend was inspired by flash mobs. A flash mob suddenly performs a coordinated and seemingly random act, such as dancing or staging a pillow fight, in a public place.

Word of cash and flash mobs is often spread through Facebook and Twitter.

Ellsworth’s first cash mob attracted 22 participants. Organizers suggested shoppers spend $10 to $20, but making a purchase was not mandatory.

“It’s really about getting people through the doors of some place,” explained Noontime Rotarian and Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce Associate Director Phyllis Young.

“Even if they don’t buy a lot today, in the future, they’ll know what’s here,” she said.

Torrance said the group chose to mob J&B Atlantic because of the store’s highly visible location, diverse selection and space.

For more business news, pick up a copy of The Ellsworth American.