ANN ARBOR, MI — Businesses throughout Ann Arbor opened early and had a steady stream of customers on “Black” Friday, Nov. 24, retailers said.
One business finding success on the shopping-filled day was Sandy’s Boutique over at 116 E. Washington St.
This is the new Ann Arbor shop’s first Black Friday after opening in August. Since opening, the boutique has become a go-to spot for active wear and other casual clothing options.
The boutique opened a couple of hours earlier than normal and is featuring deals throughout the entire store with products anywhere from 20 to 70% off.
The store had been dealing with “steady traffic” all morning, owner Jillian Bean Greco said, adding the boutique typically doesn’t have this number of customers until later in the day.
Greco said the store’s first Black Friday has “definitely” blown her expectations. She anticipated the store would continue to get busier throughout the day.
“I think everything since the day we opened has been more than I have been hoping for,” she said. “We’ve just been very busy and we’re super grateful.”
On South Main Street, there were plenty of people shopping for comic books at Vault of Midnight. Deals for the day included 15% off comics, graphic novels, toys and board games.
Customers shopping at Vault of Midnight at 219 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.Makayla Coffee
General Manager Liz Sullivan said the store is typically busy during the fall and winter months, but Black Friday was a little different. She anticipated the store would stay busy.
“You can definitely tell people are out shopping today specifically for Black Friday,” she said.
Briarwood Mall also reported a successful day of Black Friday shopping with most retailers running 40 to 50% off regular price items, according to the mall’s general manager Erica Chappell.
“Customers have been coming out and it’s been a really strong response so far,” she said.
The mall at 100 Briarwood Circle opened up at 6 a.m. while JCPenney opened its doors at 5 a.m. and closed at 9 p.m. Chappell said a lot of the mall’s stores opened early and had door buster deals this year.
“It’s exciting to pull into the mall’s (parking lot) this morning (when it’s) really early and dark outside and customers are already waiting to get into the mall and shop,” she said.
Beyond deals, Chappell said photo opportunities with Santa Claus began for the Christmas season and the mall also featured live performances from local artists.
Another business noticing an uptick in customers this year was the outdoor gear and clothing store Bivouac at 336 S. State St.
“It definitely seems like there’s a good amount of people downtown whether they’re coming in here or not,” said AJ Davidson, president of Bivouac.
The business opened at 8:30 a.m. and had a variety of deals on the different brands it carries. Some items were 15 to 50% off.
Davidson said he thinks the Michigan versus Ohio State football game on Saturday was a big factor impacting shoppers showing up for Black Friday this year.
“We found the foot traffic was up this morning from last year and I see a lot of people walking around with Michigan shirts on so I’m sure that a lot of it is the game day traffic as well,” he said.
Regardless, Davidson said Black Friday is “always a good day” for Bivouac, especially with Ann Arbor’s constant support.
“One of my favorite things working today is we get a lot of customers in who come in every Black Friday, and they always make a point to come in and see us and support us and that really means a lot to us,” he said.
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