Black Friday turnout in Haines was, in a word, “poppin’,” according to Kisa Bergstrand who worked the floor in the clothing department at Olerud’s the day after Thanksgiving.

More than 15 local businesses offered discounts on Nov. 23 and 24 to kick off the holiday shopping season. Nearly all of them saw a larger profit margin than average. Miles Furniture owner Candi Bradford said it was the best Black Friday her store has seen in seven years of business, and the second highest grossing day ever. Bradford attributes the success to good weather and ample advertising, a common theme cited by participating businesses when asked about turnout.

“This is the first time I’ve advertised, so it brought in people that don’t normally come in,” Theresa Raven from Dalton City Yarn said of her 30 percent off storewide sale. Raven said her store saw higher profit margins than the same day last year, when it was “dead.”

The Haines Chamber of Commerce promoted local chamber member businesses in the centerfold of the CVN the week before Thanksgiving. Several establishments hosted Black Friday sales for the first time.

Port Chilkoot Distillery, The Parts Place and Alaska Wild Bear Photography opened their doors with store-wide discounts after Thanksgiving, and all reported steady foot traffic. According to distillery tasting room manager Caitie Kirby, the business had never before had a sale, so 25 percent off spirits and merchandise brought in a packed house. Despite filling up, however, Kirby told the CVN that the scene wasn’t a “typical Black Friday at Walmart.”

“Everybody was happy and in a good mood—nobody was throwing elbows or fighting over the last bottle of gin,” Kirby said.

This year the chamber partnered with the Haines Economic Development Committee to promote Black Friday and Small Business Saturday through a “By Haines” campaign launched in October. The campaign posted several spotlight videos of local businesses and hosted a contest encouraging residents to post a photo of their shopping bags on Friday and Saturday. The winner, Toni Dewitt, was given a $50 gift card from the Chamber of Commerce to a small business of her choice.

Brian Staurseth, whose photography business was featured in a By Haines spotlight video this month, said he is normally only open during the cruise ship season, but decided to open so locals would have the chance at a 25 percent off discount.

“I did okay on Friday, but virtually nobody came in on Saturday,” Staurseth said. “Maybe two days is too much for people.”

Mary Jean Borcik, Mountain Market co-owner, concurred that Black Friday brings in many customers, but her staff knows from experience not to fully stock their fresh food counter for the weekend.

“The flip side is that on the weekend after the sale, it’s completely dead,” Borcik said. “They’ve eaten everything, they’ve shopped, they’re just done.”

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