Nov 25, 2007

Local sales attract shoppers on Black FridayBy Breanne ParcelsUrbanaCitizen.com

While metro malls and big box stores lured people to wait in line during the wee hours of the morning for deals on electronics and other items, most local merchants took a softer approach to selling their wares on “Black Friday” and met with success through traditional advertising and staying open late.

“We’ve had quite a bit of traffic, mostly for our sales,” said Paul Thompson, owner of Susie’s Furniture in North Lewisburg, which advertised “Home for the Holidays” specials.

Recliners were a hot item at Willman Furniture in Urbana, said owner Scott Fannin.

“We’ve had a lot more business than a usual Friday, probably due to our buy one, get one recliner sales,” he said. “So far, we’ve been very busy.”

Musical instruments, particularly guitars, are in demand, said Bruce Blevins and Linda Richards at J&L Music in Urbana.

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