Black Friday shoppers turn off the computer, turn up in person to buy gifts – NNY360
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Log in or sign up for a new account and join now to continue reading.
Join now to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Sorry, an error occurred.
do not remove
Partly cloudy skies. High 48F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..
Clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 37F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
Updated: November 26, 2022 @ 8:47 am
Jordan and Megan Hicks of Malone load up their car with gifts at Walmart in Malone on Monday. Black Friday sales drew shoppers from around the area. Trevor Buchanan/Malone Telegram
Christmas decorations create a holiday vibe at the Pear Tree in Potsdam. Mike Gagliardi/Watertown Daily Times
The Willow Tree on Route 11, Potsdam, has already seen an uptick in folks making holiday purchases. Mike Gagliardi/Watertown Daily Times
Shoppers look for Black Friday deals at the Salmon Run Mall in Watertown. Craig Fox/Watertown Daily Times
Reporter
Jordan and Megan Hicks of Malone load up their car with gifts at Walmart in Malone on Monday. Black Friday sales drew shoppers from around the area. Trevor Buchanan/Malone Telegram
Christmas decorations create a holiday vibe at the Pear Tree in Potsdam. Mike Gagliardi/Watertown Daily Times
Shoppers look for Black Friday deals at the Salmon Run Mall in Watertown. Craig Fox/Watertown Daily Times
POTSDAM — While many people do their Black Friday shopping online, some locals are becoming disillusioned with buying things through a computer screen, which has been a benefit for local businesses this year.
“I feel like most people do their Black Friday shopping online, like on Amazon, but I like the idea of shopping in person,” said Sam Jensen, who was at Walmart on Friday. He said it’s easier that way to look at products and ensure you get what you want — and the lack of shipping time doesn’t hurt, either.
Guru Vaijayanth Nirarthi, a graduate student at Clarkson who was also Black Friday shopping at Walmart, agreed. “I’m old-school,” he said. “I don’t like shopping online, and Walmart has plenty to offer in terms of products.”
He also likes how, in person, you can see things you don’t have to search for. “You don’t plan to buy something, but then you do when you see it in person.”
Both Dylan and Sam Greer, also Black Friday shopping at Walmart, echoed that thought. “We tend to find better deals in person, and it’s easier to actually look at what you’re buying,” Mr. Greer said. They did say, however, that there didn’t seem to be as many deals this year as in previous years. Other people the Times spoke with said that as well.
The Willow Tree on Route 11, Potsdam, has already seen an uptick in folks making holiday purchases. Mike Gagliardi/Watertown Daily Times
Local shops, such as Willow Tree in Potsdam and Pear Tree in Canton, have seen a rise in holiday shopping in general.
“Small Business Saturday is tomorrow, and that’s usually busier, but we do have a lot of local customers for Black Friday as well,” said Jennifer Blanchard, who owns Willow Tree with her husband, Kevin.
This year in particular has been busier off the heels of the pandemic.
“I think a lot of people are shopping more local than they have in the past, because in the past few years they may have wanted to shop online since it was more safe, but this year more of them are coming out,” Ms. Blanchard said.
She said people have started holiday shopping earlier than usual, buying gifts such as gnomes, Christmas decorations, and a lot of foodstuffs as well.
“We appreciate the people who come in here,” she said. “It’s nice of them to support local business.”
The Pear Tree was quiet Black Friday morning but expected more customers by the afternoon.
“Black Friday usually has been good for us, but the weather today certainly isn’t promising, although I suspect we will have more folks in this afternoon,” owner Marilyn Mintener said.
The holiday season is busy for them in general, though. “As we progress towards the 25th of December, every day gets better,” she said.
She spoke about how online shopping has hurt local gift shops like hers.
“There isn’t any business that hasn’t noticed the effects of online shopping,” she said. “But it’s not the same experience as walking in a store and seeing all the merchandise and interacting with people.”
Fortunately, she thinks more people are starting to notice the downsides of internet purchases.
“When you buy something online, you don’t get to really see what it looks like, whether it’s quality, it takes awhile to arrive, and it’s harder to exchange if you don’t like it.”
Because of that, she’s optimistic about the fate of in-person gift buying. “We’ll hold our own,” she said.
Johnson Newspapers 7.1
Reporter
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Get the most of NNY360, register today!
By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com
Get Breaking News Alerts deliverd FREE to your inbox
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com