Ann Arbor area independent stores seek slice of Black Friday sales
With 134 million shoppers headed into U.S. stores this weekend for Black Friday bargains, many national retailers will open hours early and find lines of shoppers awaiting their deals.
But local stores want to feel the impact from the traditional launch of the holiday shopping season, too.
The Ann Arbor area’s independent retailers bring a varied approach to Black Friday, but most agree: If they can get shoppers into their stores that day, they’re going to do it.
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Where people will shop on Black Friday 2009 • Discount stores 66.3 % • Department stores 62.4 % • Electronics stores 41 % • Clothing/accessory stores 36.3 % • 28.8 grocery stores • 27.6 online retailers Source: National Retail Federation |
It’s the store’s way of competing with the national electronics and appliance stores that aggressively offer a limited number of markdowns.
And since electronics are forecast as a hot seller this year, that strategy may pay off.
Advertised specials will include TVs and Blu-Ray DVD players.
The store is part of a national buying group for independent retailers, said Sam Akers, general manager for the appliance side. That group generates $11 billion in sales for manufacturers, Akers said.
“That means they can come to our group with the same pricing as bigger box stores,” he said.
In recent years Big George’s has experimented with opening early and staying open late. Opening an hour early seems to be the best option for both shoppers and employees, every one of which will be working all weekend.
Akers said what’s new this year will be appliance deals.
“This will be the most aggressive pricing in the major appliance (side of the business),” Akers said. “Ever.”
Black Friday is about bargains, but it’s also become part of a symbolic movement among shoppers and retailers, said David Wooten, professor of marketing at the University of Michigan.
Sales are a part of it. But so is having an image that shows a retailer recognizes the impact that the bargain-oriented, competitive day can have on shoppers.
“Some (retailers) feel as though they have to participate,” Wooten said, to make the entire day as consumer-friendly as possible.
Ed Davidson, owner of Bivouac on South State Street, carries many popular national brands that chain stores carry. He competes on service and quality like any independent retailer. But he emphasizes that he’ll also compete on price.
His store won’t open early or offer hours-long specials.
But it will continue its 20-year tradition of meeting any advertised price.
“We’ll match any price, item for item, if it’s the same item,” he said.
He’ll also benchmark his own store’s sales against national sales totals for Black Friday as a performance gauge and as an indicator of sales trends for the rest of the holidays.
Bivouac shoppers also will find some markdowns in the store, along with free gift-wrapping and free shipping.
Local nonprofit resale stores also are plugging into Black Friday. Advertised deals at the Salvation Army Thrift Store on South State and Value World in Maple Village tout their places in the shopping season kickoff.
The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop won’t open early, but it will have a semi-annual event: a storewide half-off sale.
Shoppers will be lined up at the 9 a.m. opening, said employee Diane Behnke, with many heading for the furniture.
While the store attracts many regulars, employees see a difference when they hold a sale on Black Friday.
“It seems like more people are in a hurry that day …to get to the next store,” Behnke said.
Some stores have the flexibility to see how late in the day people are shopping, and make adjustments then.
“We won’t compete with mall shoppers,” said Karl Lagler of Antelope Antiques on East Liberty, which is open normally from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This weekend, he’s thinking the closing time may be closer to 9 p.m.
“We may stay open late … at least until they quit coming in.”
Paula Gardner is Business Director for AnnArbor.com. Read more local Holiday '09 shopping coverage here.