TRAVERSE CITY — Area stores large and small reported strong sales for the year's busiest shopping weekend.
Small store owners in downtown areas said they held their own against their shopping mall cousins on Black Friday. Most received an even larger boost on Small Business Saturday, a national promotion launched in 2010 that encourages shoppers to patronize locally owned small retailers.
"Black Friday was good, but Saturday, whatever it was called, was even better," said Nancy Schaner, a sales clerk for Toy Harbor in Traverse City. "I keep a journal ... and Saturday was bigger than any other post-Thanksgiving Saturday in the six years I've worked here."
The National Retail Federation, a trade association, reported an estimated 226 million shoppers hit stores and websites over the weekend, a 6.6 percent increase from 2010. They spent an estimated $52 billion, a new record, the association reported, based on market surveys.
"We were very pleased," said Amy Reynolds, sales manager at Horizon Books. "It's probably the best November we've had in five years."
Debra George, store manager for Kohl's in Traverse City, said business was up over last year and she thinks the store's midnight-after-Thanksgiving opening helped.
"It gave shoppers another option to come out and shop before they went to bed, and I think they appreciated it," she said.
Black Friday was Kohls' best day, but business remained strong throughout the weekend, George said.
Outside of Traverse City, the region's shopping mecca, retailers relied on encouraging people to shop local, a push that's paying off, said Mariah Hull, owner of the women's clothing store Hull's of Frankfort.
Her customers are much more conscious of where items are made and of supporting local business, she said.
"In years past, because the economy is not so great, a lot of our stores have closed, and I think they want to shop in their hometowns to help keep the ones that are left open," Hull said. "I did very well and I think traffic was up quite a bit, especially on Friday. Saturday was also very strong."
Hull said she pushed the Small Business Saturday promotion in her store, but acknowledged help in the form of a large craft fair that drew people into Frankfort. She heard mixed reviews from other business owners about the weekend, but most said sales were strong.
"I'm definitely optimistic for the season in general," she said.
Several retailers said generally dry, warm weather also helped.
"Weather was definitely a factor; a lot of people were out," said Judy Izard, owner of the kitchen store Peppercorn in Traverse City. "We had a great weekend and most of the stores downtown -- from what I saw -- it looked pretty good."
Traffic also was up all over Suttons Bay, said Karl Bahle, owner of Bahle's Department Store.
"As far as we know it was great, both Friday and Saturday, and we were up over last year," Bahle said. "I'm just hoping it's because the economy is better."
The weather even helped non-traditional Black Friday stores such as Gill-Roy's Hardware in Elk Rapids. The store does no special promotion for the shopping weekend, but was plenty busy, said Bret Hollabaugh, a store manager.
"Typically if the weather is nice, people are motivated to do things," Hollabaugh said. "People were still motivated this weekend."
