Shoppers stay local for Black Friday weekend

“The weekend overall was a positive one,” said Carlos Ferreiro, co-owner of NY Threads, a men’s clothing store, of this year’s Black Friday weekend.

“There’s a good buzz in the air to support smaller stores —you feel a connection with those,” Ferreiro said. “Corporations don’t have a face. We offer a personal experience.”

Local merchants said that many Long Beach shoppers sought that personal experience, as they turned out for local bargains on discounted items during the highly anticipated Black Friday weekend. Merchants across the barrier island, including Ferreiro, found themselves busy assisting customers who were looking to indulge in various sales at diverse shops, including Ooh la la, Cover Girl Fashion, and many other businesses.

According to a National Retail Federation survey, more people shopped over the Black Friday weekend and spent more than they did a year ago. According to the survey, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the weekend, up from 212 million last year. Spending reached an estimated $52.4 billion, with the average shopper spending $398.62, up from last year’s $365.34.

Andrea Shulman, owner of Pinup Clothing Boutique at 58A East Park Ave., offered 20 percent off for an entire purchase for the Black Friday weekend. Hot items shoppers flocked to, she said, included women’s tops, as well as sweaters.

“A lot of customers came out in support of shopping local,” she said, citing that many of her loyal shoppers turned out over the weekend. “I think that the economy still stinks and people are looking for a little help.”

Ferreiro said his store offered various deals, including a buy one get one free deal on various items, including T-shirts, button-up shirts, and select brands of jeans. In addition, there was a 20 to 50 percent discount on all items at the store, from jeans and T-shirts, to suits and sweaters. In general, all customers who have shopped at the store previously — who are fans of the NY Threads Facebook Page or listed in the store’s computer — receive 10 percent off items, he added.

The day that merchants cited as the best day, however, was Small Business Saturday. The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to highlight the day after Black Friday as a day to redirect shopping and spending from big-box stores to local businesses and service providers.

Shulman said that though she saw turnouts on Friday and Sunday, shopping on Small Business Saturday was “incredible.” “It was unbelievable,” she said. “Sales on Saturday were three times what they were last year [at the store].”

Ferreiro echoed similar sentiments, noting that his store experienced a good, though “lighter” turnout on Black Friday, and that Saturday was the better day of the weekend.

“Many customers who came in said they were there for the purpose of Small Business Saturday,” he said. “Compared to last year, we definitely did better.”

Warren Vegh, executive director of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, said that he spoke with merchants after the weekend. Overall, he said, many expressed that business was abundant during the Black Friday weekend, and that some shoppers avoided shopping malls.

“A lot of people in town decided they wanted to stay in town,” Vegh said. “Shoppers are not out there trying to fight for parking spaces at malls — there’s plenty of parking available in Long Beach this time of year. Some said that they had a lot of people coming into town and staying here to see what they could get.”

Asked of the benefit of shopping locally instead of commercially, Ferreiro said local stores have a strong rapport with residents. “They come in, we know each other,” he said. “We’re not a big store, we may not have 20 of the same brand or selection,” he said, noting that items at his store can be $25 cheaper than items at malls. “But why drive to the mall, when we can save them $25 off the bat?”

Vegh said his belief was that this year, rather than straying far from home and dealing with overcrowding at chain stores, shoppers wanted to seek out and indulge in special discounted items available in their own community. “People don’t want to go out with a hustle and bustle right away to malls and go out of Long Beach,” he said. “They feel more comfortable shopping locally.”