Local Boutiques Prepare For Black Friday Shoppers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Big box retailers aren’t the only ones preparing for big crowds on Black Friday.

Small businesses in local down towns are also getting their stores ready for the hustle and bustle of it all.

Black Friday is a day shoppers all over the world look forward to.

They’re looking to cash in some new purchases and take full advantage of any deals they can get.

While shoppers are making out their shopping lists, stores are making their to-do list to make sure they have everything in place to handle the big crowds.

“I would really say just prepping at the beginning of the week is important, that way we don’t have to get here super early before we open on Friday,” said Kaylee Perrigin, sales associate at Deep South Pout.

Perrigin said they’re expecting hundreds of people to come through the doors on Black Friday.

The store has been preparing for the big day weeks in advance to get ready for the heavy foot traffic.

“We’ve been cleaning all week, we’ve been organizing the store,” said Perrigin. “We’ve had to tag T-shirts and sweatshirts, we’ve been getting a bunch of new inventory in.”

This will be the fourth Black Friday Perrigin has worked and she knows a thing or two about what needs to be done to run a smooth operation.

She said it takes an all hands on deck to make sure everything is just right.

“We actually have a couple of people that are seasonal employees almost, they’ll come just for this,” said Perrigin.

It’s a no brainer Black Friday is a big revenue generator for most stores.

Now that the final preparations are being made, stores are hoping customers remember to shop local.

“I think it’s very important to shop local because that money stays within your community,” said Brooke Ann Duett, boutique manager at Park Place Boutique and Salon. “I actually read something that for every dollar spent in a local small business, 67-cents stays within the community. The local businesses are giving back to the school your children go to, the churches, the benefits, all of the civil organizations such as the Air Force Base, and the kind of stuff, we support those too.”

“That’s how we stay alive is when our local people to shop with us instead of going to Birmingham or somewhere like that, said Tami McBryde, Co-Owner of Mira Mira.

Park Place Boutique and Salon and Mirra Mirra will open Thursday night and remain open thru Friday night.

Deep South Pout will open its doors Friday morning at 6 o’clock.