SHOPPING SEASON
Area shoppers brave below-freezing temperatures to take part in Black Friday
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> The coldest Thanksgiving weather in more than a century didn’t stop shoppers from getting their Black Friday deals in the Spa City.
Some headed to Wilton for stores like Walmart, Kohl’s, Target, Sears and Best Buy early on Black Friday morning for the doorbusters — but others chose to kick off the holiday shopping season by shopping local on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Along with the unique offerings and gift items that the downtown shops provide, shoppers say it’s about supporting small, locally owned and operated businesses.
“It’s great for the businesses,” said Debbie Gilson while browsing through Impressions of Saratoga with family. In a world where shopping malls and online shopping often eat up consumer cash on Black Friday, she said, “It was nice to bring everybody out.”
Gilson and the other shoppers in her family set their alarms for 5:30 a.m., trying not to wake up the rest of the house, and set out to spend their first Black Friday in downtown Saratoga Springs.
“I’m having lots of fun, finding lots of bargains,” said Linda Bye of Saratoga Springs, who was shopping with Gilson that morning.
There were certainly Black Friday deals to be had among the downtown district.
A group of shops participating in the annual Black Friday Saratoga event opened their doors at 6 a.m. offering progressive savings
of 50 percent off until 7 a.m., 40 percent off until 8 a.m., 30 percent off until 9 a.m. and 20 percent off throughout the rest of the day.
Amour New York, a beauty product shop that opened in April on Phila Street, was part of Black Friday Saratoga for the first time this year. By 8 a.m., owner Christine Marks said the store’s first Black Friday had already been busy.
Grateful for the customers who braved the freezing temperatures to come out so early and visit Amour New York, “If it’s that cold out, you deserve a discount,” she said. “You earned it.”
In addition to Black Friday, Amour New York is celebrating Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday with special promotions on its Dead Sea mineral-based products too.
Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association president Maddy Zanetti, co-owner of Impressions of Saratoga, said Black Friday is definitely one of the best days of the year for downtown retail businesses.
At 5 a.m. when Zanetti got in, there was one person already waiting outside the door at Impressions of Saratoga, and a rush of early morning shoppers followed. “By the time 6 a.m. came we had a line of probably 50 or 60 people,” she said.
These types of shoppers take such measures not only for the savings, but for the experience. “It’s great how many people tell us they come downtown instead of going to the mall or the big box stores,” Zanetti said. “We are always really happy to hear that. People say it’s more enjoyable.
“It’s a social event, it’s not just shopping.”