Retailers prepare for 'Black Friday'

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Retailers across the country, including local businesses, are gearing up for Black Friday.

Many retailers open their doors very early that day to customers seeking money-saving deals on merchandise inside the stores. The day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season and is typically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year.

Lon Banwart, the co-owner of SeKan Occasion Shops on South U.S. Highway 69, said business has been up recently at his store.

Banwart said he doesn't attribute the recent increase in customers to a slight upturn in the economy, but to the arrival of the holiday shopping season.

"People are turning loose," he said. "I just think it's Christmas and people are wanting to get out ... I think they haven't been spending (money) and now they want to get out and spend it."

Banwart said one of the two days after Thanksgiving -- either Friday or Saturday -- is usually a very busy day at his store, and added that it is difficult to predict how many customers will visit his store this weekend.

"We never know," he said. "One of those two days will be real strong ... Retail is really unpredictable these days."

Judy Renard, the owner of the Country Cupboard, 12 N. Main St., said business has also been going well at her store in recent weeks, and she hopes to see more out-of-town shoppers in Fort Scott on Black Friday, a day when many people travel to shop at stores in larger cities.

"We're holding our own and actually, the last couple of months have been up," she said. "I hope Black Friday brings up lots of visitors coming to Fort Scott ... It will give Fort Scott a chance to show what they have to sell."

Banwart said he expects to see an increase in out-of-town shoppers on Black Friday.

"I think more this year the way business is going, and the weather has been nice," he said.

Julie McClellan, the owner of Main Street Gallery and Gifts, 24 N. Main St., said business at her shop has increased since a recent holiday open house event that took place Nov. 12 in downtown Fort Scott, an event that showcases what several downtown businesses have to offer just before the holiday shopping season.

"It's a little bit better," she said. "The open house was really good. A lot of people were out. It's started to pick up since then."

McClellan said business was good last year during the holiday shopping season despite a weak economy.

"I was pleasantly surprised for the holiday season last year," she said. "We're anticipating at least that if not more. A lot of people come from surrounding towns."

A CNN report on Tuesday said Black Friday shopping is expected to pick up more than 16 percent this year, according to a survey. Fifty-seven million people said they will definitely head to stores this year, up from 49 million in 2008, according to the survey by the National Retail Foundation. An additional 77 million people said they will wait to decide after seeing the weekend deals.

The survey said as many as 134 million people will shop on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving, up 6 percent from 128 million people last year. The survey also said 66.3 percent of consumers will head to department stores and 62.4 percent to big box stores on Black Friday. Forty-one percent will shop at electronic stores, 36.3 percent at clothing stores, and 28.8 percent at grocery stores. Nearly 28 percent said they will shop online for retail deals.

Of those surveyed, 10.3 percent said they will get to stores to scour for deals as early as midnight Friday, while 28.8 percent said they will arrive about dawn, between 4 and 6 a.m. An additional 28.2 percent said they will shop between 7 and 9 a.m.

Some stores are extending hours on Black Friday so consumers have more time to shop for "doorbuster" deals, according to the CNN report.