Princeton retailers say sales generally did not meet expectations.
By: Courtney Gross
In the aftermath of what many believe is the biggest shopping day of the year, most Princeton businesses reported that Black Friday’s sales did not meet their expectations despite the overflow of traffic in town for holiday festivities and the warmer-than-expected weather.
As soon as the leftovers are packed, the day following Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, symbolizes the start of the holiday shopping season and often a time that delights retail and specialty shops throughout the Princeton area.
This year, shop owners and managers said families flooded downtown Princeton for Palmer Square’s annual tree-lighting an influx that caused some stores to nearly double their sales but most Friday visitors were merely browsing, not buying.
Compared to a normal Friday in Palmer Square, foot traffic was nearly triple for Jazams, the children’s toy and book store, and sales approximately doubled, Joanne Farrugia, the store’s owner, said. At one point, she added, employees were concerned the Hulfish Street shop one loaded with mobiles and dolls had reached capacity.
"It’s not our busiest day between now and Christmas," Ms. Farrugia said. But, she added, "It is our kickoff."
Having filled her staff up with Small World Coffee on Friday morning, Mr. Farrugia said the foot traffic doesn’t always translate into larger sales but the morale of the day creates an energetic atmosphere.
Farther down the street, The Papery of Princeton’s Manager Caroline Mitchell, who hoped to double the store’s sales from a normal Friday, said the increased traffic will hopefully also boost the store’s visibility in Princeton throughout the holiday season. Still, she added, The Papery did nearly double its sales on Friday.
"We didn’t do as well as I wanted to," Ms. Mitchell said. "(But) Black Friday was really good for us and it will continue," Ms. Mitchell added of the store’s holiday sales.
For Princeton retail shops, including the boutique Rouge on the ground floor of Witherspoon House and J. McLaughlin on Witherspoon Street, sales mirrored an average Friday even though they had many more visitors.
Paige Petersen, the owner of Rouge, said the store’s location increased foot traffic, because many families were meeting in the adjacent plaza to walk around town. But, she added, shoppers are more inclined to stop by malls or large electronic stores on Black Friday.
Debbie Kirch, manager of J. McLaughlin, agreed. Although the store’s sales were "a little above average," Ms. Kirch said, it still surpassed those done last year.
Even so, she added, some of the store’s regular, up-scale customer base may not have bought anything on Friday, but they did bring in visiting family members to "show off" their favorite Princeton spot.
Ultimately, Ms. Kirch added, for those retailers outside of Palmer Square, it can be difficult to entice shoppers away and down to Witherspoon Street’s specialty shops.
"We have to train people to get out of Palmer Square and to Witherspoon Street," Ms. Kirch said.
It is even more difficult for retailers at the Princeton Shopping Center.
Although electronics can be a typical holiday gift, the center’s Radioshack did not come close to its sales targets, store manager Masood Ahmad said. Even after Radioshack offered a special six-hour sale, he added, the store did not do nearly as well as other locations in Hightstown or elsewhere.
Despite the center’s plentiful parking, it has not typically been a busy venue on Black Friday, said Rowena Gross, manager of Ten Thousand Villages, a clothing and specialty gift store promoting fair trade. Hoping for a rush of shoppers, Ms. Gross said she scheduled extra staff who ended up cleaning the store due to a lack of customers.
"(The Princeton Shopping Center) is not what people think of when they think of Black Friday," Ms. Gross said. "Our biggest day will always be the Saturday before Christmas," she added.