Black Friday in Bradenton: what you need to know
Black Friday is almost here. Just weeks ago, presidential election uncertainty kept consumers cautious when projecting holiday spending. But after the Nov. 8 results came in, retailers began preparing for droves of holiday shoppers.
The National Retail Federation took a November survey and found consumer confidence is up slightly, and 59 percent of those surveyed plan to go shopping this weekend. The number is up slightly from last year’s 58.7 percent.
The survey, which includes metrics about online and in-store purchases, asked about shoppers’ plans for Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Sunday.
While the Black Friday craze has spread out over Thanksgiving, the weekend and into Cyber Monday in recent years, Bradenton-Sarasota shoppers should still prepare for heavy shopping and tourist traffic on Friday and throughout the weekend.
Many retailers chose to give employees an extra day to prepare for holiday traffic by staying closed on Thanksgiving. Ramon Avila, a Ball State University marketing professor and the founding director of the university’s HH Gregg Center for Professional Selling, thinks the break for retail employees is about “boosting morale of weary front-line workers.”
“Over the past few years, we’ve heard a great deal of moaning and groaning by employees who have to come into work while their family is at home, enjoying Thanksgiving,” Avila said in a release. “People simply don’t want to walk away from young children or older relatives on what is supposed to be a very special day in our country.”
The NRF November survey numbers indicate Black Friday will continue to be the busiest shopping day of the entire weekend, with 74 percent of respondents saying they plan to go shopping that day.
Millennials continue to drive the trend of hitting the stores – both on their feet and online – as soon as the turkey is finished. Whether they’re hoping to find gifts for themselves or for the folks on their lists, they will do their research to find the best deals of the weekend and have allotted a large part of their holiday budget for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday spending.
Prosper Insights & Analytics Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow
Small Business Saturday, which was started six years ago by credit card company American Express, garnered support from 24 percent of NRF’s survey pool. Last year, 95 million people visited local small businesses on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey commissioned by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business.
Cyber Monday was not a part of the November survey, but 36 percent of consumers said they plan to take advantage of the online-shopping holiday. CyberMonday.com will offer “deals of the hour” every hour on Black Friday. A full list of the hourly deals can be found on the NRF website. And NRF will announce Cyber Monday promotions on Sunday.
Last year’s Black Friday marked the first time Florida Retail Federation observed consumers participating more in online shopping than visiting brick-and-mortar locations, said spokesman James Miller.
Janelle O’Dea: 941-745-7095, @jayohday
Tips for successful Thanksgiving weekend shopping:
- Wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Friday’s forecast high in Bradenton is 82 with a low of 58, so dressing in layers is advisable.
- Make a plan. This includes making a list of what you want to buy, which stores you want to visit and the maximum amount you want to spend. There will be lots of unexpected deals, so giving yourself a maximum spending amount will help reduce the urge to impulse-buy.
- Compare prices and sales. Lots of stores have posted their specials online or in circular ads. Collect as much information as you can before deciding where to purchase the bigger-ticket items. (The Bradenton Herald is publishing Thursday’s edition with all of the advertising inserts early, available by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Publix and other outlets.) Google around for coupons and available rewards programs.
- Bring patience and items that will help extend your patience. Have snacks and water on hand. Pack an extra phone battery charger. Retail employees and other shoppers will be stressed, so do your part not to contribute to the craziness.
- Keep receipts and gift receipts. Read return policies before buying, but keep receipts in case you need to exchange or return an item.
Thanksgiving Day Shopping Hours
Stores and shopping centers open on Thanksgiving Day
- Bealls Department Stores will be open from 6 p.m. until midnight. The stores will reopen at 5 a.m. on Black Friday.
- Ellenton Premium Outlets opens at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and will stay open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
- Macy’s opens at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day; closing at 2 a.m. on Black Friday morning and reopening at 6 a.m.
- Best Buy opens at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, closing at 1 a.m. on Black Friday morning and reopening at 8 a.m.
Stores and shopping centers closed on Thanksgiving Day
- Barnes & Noble
- Bealls Outlet stores
- Costco
- Crate & Barrel
- Designer Shoe Warehouse
- Dillard’s
- hhgregg
- Home Depot
- Ikea
- Lowe’s
- Mall of America
- Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack
- Office Depot
- Petco
- Petsmart
- Publix
- Sam’s Club
- Staples
This story was originally published November 21, 2016 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Black Friday in Bradenton: what you need to know."