Local stores offer twist on Black Friday

WINCHESTER — Downtown businesses are looking to put a new twist on Black Friday this year.

Locally owned businesses are extending their hours, offering sales and encouraging customers to wear plaid as a celebration of the diversity of independent establishments.

While some big-box stores will be opening Thanksgiving evening, about 10 downtown businesses will open at 6 a.m. for Plaid Friday — with others following a few hours later. Many businesses will be displaying plaid placards as a signal that they’re offering specials.

But Plaid Friday isn’t just a journey to follow the placards outside of businesses on a quest to find that perfect holiday gift. It’s a way to support local business owners and the local economy, said Charlie Fish, co-owner of Murphy Beverage Co. and president of the Old Town Business Association.

As larger chain stores have begun opening earlier in recent years, some independent shops have lost business, she said.

“It’s a tough battle,” Fish said.

But by choosing to shop at local shops on one of the biggest spending days of the year, consumers can make a big difference, she added.

According to the 3/50 Project, a pro-local initiative that began in Minneapolis, more of the money spent at an independent business remains in the community.

The concept is that if a neighborhood’s residents spend $50 combined each month at three independently owned local businesses, they can boost the local economy.

For every $100 spent, $68 stays local through taxes, payroll and other expenses. The same expense at a national chain keeps only $43 in the community, while all $100 spent online goes elsewhere.

 

— Contact Conor Gallagher at cgallagher@winchesterstar.com