'Blacked' out

By Staff
Melissa Cason
Franklin County Times
Local retailers reported a busy "Black Friday" with a steady stream of customers looking for bargains.
Peeble's Department Store manager Brenda Johnson said about 10 customers were waiting for the store to open Friday morning at 7 a.m. and a steady crowd flowed throughout the day.
"We had customers tell us how laid back it was in our store, and that's what we were going for," Johnson said.
While the store had a more relaxed atmosphere instead of the chaos found at the larger store, sales associate Krystal Garrison said that there was a few times Friday that were less than tranquil.
"It's been steady, but there was a few times it was crazy in here," Garrison said.
Next door at Burke's Outlet, manager Carol Swinney said that it was non-stop chaos with a huge crowd throughout the day.
"We opened at seven this morning and it has been a madhouse ever since," Swinney said.
While Friday's shoppers were a little overwhelming at times, Swinney said that she is thankful for the surge of shoppers, and that they are pleased with Friday's turnout.
Factory Connection manager Diane Alverson reported a good turnout early in the day on Friday, but the store saw less customers in the afternoon hours.
"We were really busy in the morning but now we are just dead," Alverson said on Friday afternoon.
"Maybe everyone went to Florence or somewhere else."
All in all, Friday was a good day for local merchants, and if Black Friday really does set the tone for the holiday shopping season, local merchants can look forward to a profitable holiday this year.