Black Friday?

[Mike Labbe]

Is your shop planning to be open for Black Friday?

We usually close on that day, and stay home. Any time we opened on BF, it was dead. We are open the day after, for Small Business Saturday.

Just start a discussion. Feel free to create your own, too!

 

[Robin Gentry MCPF]

When I had my retail space I would close. The first few years I was open and it was dead. I was able to catch up on some orders but I also had family in town which I did not see much so I decided to close and spend time with them.

Is your Small Business Saturday busy? Mine never was no matter how much I promoted it.

 

[Mike Labbe]

We usually get 2 or 3 from SBS, but not crazy busy. Hey I'll take any free promotion I can get! We do put the carpets out, use the bags they provide, put the banners out in front of the building, pens and balloons, etc. They always send a bunch of marketing material.

 

[Mark Kubo]

During a normal year, we are closed for most of Black Friday and have one of our jewelry artists for a show in the evening after the city's Tree Lighting.

But this year, the weekend will fall during the 3-week "get COVID under control" period that our governor has asked, so we will be closed.

 

[Mike Labbe]

We plan to open Saturday, but not if the governor closes down the state (as she has suggested).

I notice a lot of big boxes are going to be closed on Thanksgiving this year, which I think is a good thing.

I was wondering where Amex SBS was, because they usually approach businesses well in advance. They didnt contact me this year until 11/13, for the "kit" and marketing info. It seems very scaled back this year, compared with previous years. A few years in a row they sent us 3 large boxes with a dozen floor mats, dozens of shopping bags, banners, signage, pens, pins, balloons, etc. This year, it looks like a shoebox with some pens and stickers. I'll let you know when it arrives.

 

[Mike Labbe]

ps: Amex is giving out a free wall mountable electric hand sanitizer dispenser, if interested (with batteries). We ordered one. It is on their merchant website. They are also offering cloth face masks, that have their logo.

Earlier this year they previously sent a "Back to Business" kit, with a big bottle of hand sanitizer and some marketing materials.