Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Black Friday results mixed

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Prize drawings and free breakfast were among the ways local retailers plied shoppers on Black Friday.

Burns Do It Center staff prepared grilled pancakes in the morning to attract shoppers. Also, store merchandise such as kitchen and Christmas items were marked up to 60 and 70 percent off and a drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree was held.

Burns Do It Center assistant store manager Adam Warren said staff saw a lot of new faces and business was steady throughout the day.

According to Warren, Black Friday traffic tends to decrease in the second half of the day.

"Traditionally after lunch Black Friday is a pretty boring day," Warren said.

"Everybody is kind of worn out and going home. This year it was a lot more fun and made the day go by faster."

Warren believes the business' merging with Triangle Ace Hardware in March also contributed to increased sales.

"I talked to a few customers who said, 'hey look, I haven't been in here until y'all moved," Warren said.

Warren said small kitchen items such as food dehydrators and slow cookers sold best.

To combat a drop in afternoon and evening business this year, Creighton's Town and Country in Portales held a $200 prize package giveaway, among other sales and promotions.

Leslie Creighton, co-owner of Creighton's Town and Country, said in the past Black Friday traffic decreased in the second half of the day.

Creighton said traffic at her store on Friday was steady throughout the day and picked up toward the end. She said Black Friday sales were up about 1 percent this year.

"We offered five different deals each hour," Creighton said.

"Some of it was actually below our cost but we did that to try to encourage people to shop during those hours and I think it paid off."

A 30 percent discount on merchandise at Private Moments in Clovis did not bring in many Black Friday shoppers, according to owner Steve Gershon.

Gershon said he made $300 in profit on Friday. He believes chain retailers that started Black Friday sales on Thursday interfered with sales at local businesses.

"People are still shopping at the big chains (on Black Friday)," Gershon said.

"People weren't coming downtown for Black Friday. I don't think it was just my store. I heard other people complaining it was not busy at all this year."

 
 
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