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FARMINGTON – Merchants reported a mixed shopping outlook for Friday, much like the weather, with some stores enjoying brisk business and others looking ahead to a hopefully busy holiday season.
A mixture of rain, sleet and snow fell across Franklin County, which several business owners believed kept would-be shoppers indoors. Earlier this week, unexpectedly icy conditions caused as many as 20 accidents and some felt the incident had made drivers cautious.
Some stores saw heavy business, Reny’s was particularly busy. Other stores said they hadn’t seen a crush of people, but some noted that the massive lines and stampedes seen on Black Friday had never been the case for smaller, retail businesses.
Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers’ owner Kenny Brechner said the national spectacle of Black Friday had really become associated with specific sales, such as electronics. Typically, Brechner said, his own book sales ramped up as the holidays approached, as customers came to Farmington to spend time with their families and friends.
Brechner said he was curious to see if tomorrow’s “Small Business Saturday” campaign, carried out primarily on Facebook and other social networking sites, had any impact. The campaign is asking people to use at least some of their spending money on small, local businesses rather than national chains. Brechner wasn’t sure if the idea had gained any traction locally.
Other merchants are already looking ahead to Saturday, another big shopping day, for which generally better weather has been forecasted. The Farmington Downtown Association is sponsoring free horse drawn sleigh rides on Saturday, Nov. 27, from 10 am-noon throughout downtown. Pick up will be in front of the Homestead Bakery. For updated events and more information: www.downtownfarmington.com
