Thursday, October 1, 2026
“We are starting out local, and maybe moving to chain [stores],” said Arielle Busch, as she shopped early on the afternoon of Black Friday at Ooh la la, a trendy woman’s boutique on East Park Avenue. “But today, we might just stay local.”
Many Long Beach shoppers echoed those sentiments as they sought local bargains on discounted items during the highly anticipated Black Friday weekend. Local business owners found themselves busy assisting customers who were looking to indulge in the various sales offered by local stores.
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, 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the weekend, up from 195 million last year. Spending reached an estimated $45 billion, with the average shopper spending $365.34, up from last year’s $343.31.
Nicole Campbell, manager of Ooh la la, said that the store offered 15-percent off for customers on their entire purchase over the weekend.
“We were busy all weekend,” said Campbell, who said she felt that the turnout was a good indication of what to expect during this year’s holiday shopping season. “I think a lot of customers that were here will spend the holiday season shopping here. The [customers] that stay loyal always come back and get their gifts for everyone and their families.”
Caitlin Fuentes, who shopped at the store for her mom, sister, and sister-in-law, avoided chain stores this year.
“This is the only place I came to on Black Friday,” said Fuentes. “I hate Black Friday, but I figured locally it wouldn’t be too crazy.”
To promote shopping locally, the City of Long Beach recently launched a campaign aimed at enticing residents to shop at local stores, and offered promotional incentives to local retailers that pledged to offer discounts of their choosing to customers for four Saturdays, Nov. 27 through Dec. 18. The city is also offering free bus transportation “to all shopping areas” on those dates.
Overall, many business owners said they witnessed a strong customer turnout this year, an indication that more shoppers decided to embrace local businesses to find the best deals around.
