A family enjoys some ice cream... HOLLY, Michigan – For one new Holly resident, it was the start of a beautiful retail friendship when she walked into Morgan’s Boutique, 109 S. Saginaw St. at 8:45 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. Owner, Nicole Kilpatrick said this first customer of the day has only lived in Holly for two months, and had never shopped downtown.
“She said she had been out all morning shopping at the big box stores and wanted to check out Holly before going home to 'crash,'” Kilpatrick said. “That’s exactly why I decided to open early this year – to be here so that Black Friday shoppers could end their day of shopping here at home,” she added. “That customer bought a Christmas dress for her daughter, and I know she’ll be back now that she knows we’re here.”
Dick Rossell, owner of Holly Hills Primatives, 125 S. Saginaw St., along with his wife, Dawn, reported that they had very good Black Friday sales, though their customers were primarily from outside of Holly. “We promoted Black Friday heavily on Facebook and to our email list,” he said. “Dawn’s blog has developed quite a following, and that has helped us build awareness.” Rossell said sales for the shop doubled since last year and that offering customers a complimentary cup of neighboring Zany Janie’s delicious coffee was also a “perk” of the day.
Many Holly businesses offered ...
Meanwhile uptown Radiant Sol, 4048 Grange Hall Rd., lured customers in with free tanning. “Giving away free services is a great tool to get people in the door,” Owner Melissa Pelletier said. “But we don’t end up giving away much, because most people are impressed with our salon and with our discounts, and they end up buying a package while they’re here – we’ve been really busy.” Radiant Sol is locally-owned and opened its doors in August.
Holly Candle Shoppe owners Dan and Holly Jablonski were both on hand to serve customers at their Battle Alley location. “Black Friday is actually very good for us,” Dan said. “We have loyal customers who wait for this day to buy their favorite seasonal fragrances even though we actually brought out the Christmas candles three weeks ago.” A new promotion this year is the “Vault of Misfit Candles.” Early shoppers who spent at least $25 were invited to select a candle of their choice from the “vault.” Dan, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Holly’s Downtown Development Authority, said he believes more stores and restaurants in Holly are making it more of a destination for shoppers. “You can actually spend a whole day in Holly,” he said. “There is more to do, more to see and more to eat.”
Bittersweet Cafe owner, Dee Va...
Among those providing more to eat was Bittersweet Café, 112 S. Saginaw St., which had extended hours for Black Friday. “We always have very good business on Fridays, and Black Friday was no different,” Owner Dee Van Boemel said. “We decided to stay open until 8 p.m. so that those who came downtown for the Christmas tree lighting could enjoy a hot meal afterward.” Van Boemel said her café enjoyed a dinner rush following the tree lighting ceremony. “When people come downtown to support the community, I like them to see us open and know that the Bittersweet Café supports the community, too.”
If new shoppers and loyal customers had any doubt that Black Friday was a special event in Holly, they needed only to glance at the southwest corner of Maple and S. Saginaw Streets to see that even Trains and Things – a retail space and museum normally considered an “occupied vacancy” was open for business!
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