Peterborough businesses participated in Plaid Friday last week, an effort to encourage Black Friday shoppers to support small, local businesses instead of seeking deals at chain franchises.
It was a mild, overcast day, but a steady number of people strolled around town, wandering in and out of stores downtown. At Bowerbird & Friends, the inside of the antique shop was festive and bustling.
Owner Kathy Forrest said the day was busier than last year. One customer told Forrest that going to Bowerbird the day after Thanksgiving has become a family tradition.
“People like to come and touch and feel,” Forrest said, motioning to the lamps, plants, candles, silverware and jewelry around the store. “This is an experience.”
Forrest also feels grateful for the other businesses around town.
“There are so many wonderful shop owners that engage with their customers and keep them coming back,” she said.
Forrest feels that her store is unique. It offers a variety items that people can’t find in chain stores or online. Gail Huntley, who works at Alice Blue Boutique, feels the same way. The clothing store is two stories in a skinny storefront next to Cooper’s Hill Public House.
“A lot of our lines you can’t buy online,” Huntley said. She believes people appreciate the creative items and the fact that Alice Blue offers items they won’t see anywhere else. She hopes this will keep people participating in Plaid Friday.
Huntley thought the shop seemed about as busy as last year on Plaid Friday, and she was happy with the turnout. She thinks the effectiveness of the day can depend on weather and it was warm enough for people to walk around comfortably.
“It’s a popular area. We have a lot of out-of-staters,” Huntley said. And “if we do well the restaurants do well because [people] linger,” she said, and she recommends a variety of food options to her patrons. “I try to spread the wealth.”
At Eastern Mountain Sports, more commonly called EMS, signs signaling deals on certain items were spread throughout the racks.
“Today has been very good,” store manager Keith Dalrymple said, “I think we’re going to end up doing a little better than last year.”
However, 2021 sales were lower than 2020, and Dalrymple associates this with a national theme of retail decline.
“In general, retail is kind of going that way,” he said, “I think folks buy online instead of going to the store.” With Cyber Monday deals and the ease of shopping online, including on the EMS website, some potential customers may choose to sit Black or Plaid Friday out completely.
All three stores said the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the busiest of the year, so they will have a better idea of how the 2021 and 2022 compared in January 2023.