Black Friday, Small Business Saturday sales are up

Whether you were one of Black Friday’s early risers or you opted to sleep in and shop Saturday instead, chances are your wallet is a little lighter after the holiday weekend, which has become as famous for shopping and sales as turkey and pumpkin pie.

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Jennifer Ciucevich browses the gift selection at Lockwood Folly Marketplace in Supply on a recent weekday lunch hour. Lockwood Folly Marketplace owner Lindsay Hewett said lunch-hour holiday shopping is on the rise.

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According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are once again spending money—with shoppers spending $52.4 billion on Black Friday alone.

The National Retail Federation estimates 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the holiday weekend, which was up from 212 million shoppers last year.

“Stuffed to the brim from their holiday meals and eager to shop, more consumers than ever turned out for retailers’ Black Friday promotions, a promising sign for the economic recovery,” Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation, said.

“After an historic holiday weekend, retailers know the holiday season is far from over and will continue to look for ways to excite holiday shoppers and build on the momentum we’ve seen thus far,” Shay said.

Here in Brunswick County, local small business owners report a positive forecast for the holiday shopping season.

Instead of competing with the big-box chains and their massive sales, local business owners offered shoppers deals on days other than Black Friday.

Lindsay Hewett, owner of Lockwood Folly Marketplace in Supply, said holiday sales have been steadily increasing this holiday season.

Knowing most shoppers planned to travel Wilmington or Myrtle Beach, S.C., to shop for Black Friday deals, the marketplace was closed Friday, but had a great Small Business Saturday the following day, Hewett said.

Some other trends, Hewett’s noticed, “Each year we see that folks are starting their Christmas shopping earlier and earlier.”

Since Lockwood Folly is both a gift shop and a popular lunch destination, Hewett has noticed another unique trend.

“We’ve seen during our lunch rush our sales are picking up during the week,” she said.

Judith Huffman, who owns three J. Huffman locations in Shallotte, Sunset Beach and Holden Beach, said she offers a Thanksgiving Day sale at her Sunset Beach store.

“We do our biggest discount on Thanksgiving Day. The past two years it’s been the best of the year. Last year was so good, we were a little worried about this year, but we were within a few dollars of meeting last year’s sales,” Huffman said.

Huffman has offered her Thanksgiving Day sale to customers for the past 12 years.

“This year was extremely busy. It gives you hope for the next month. I would say it’s a positive outlook. It’s still tough. We’re still hanging in there. It’s not like it used to be,” Huffman said.

With holiday spending already higher than last year, the National Retail Federation said online and mobile shopping were also on the rise this year.

According to Shay, 28.7 million people shopped online on Thanksgiving Day, which was up from last year’s 22.2 million online shoppers.
More than one-quarter (25.7 percent) of Americans with tablet computers said they did or they will purchase items with their tablets. More than 37 percent of those shoppers have already researched prices or compared products on their tablets.

More than half of those shoppers with tablets say they will use their tablet to shop for gifts this holiday season, Shay said.