Black Friday shopping returns in North Jersey as people head back to stores

David Cornell got a jump-start on Black Friday shopping this year. Except he wasn't at a mall or a big box store, instead choosing to shop along Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair.

"I always shop small," said Cornell, 64, of Ortley Beach. "I'm very partial to local businesses."

As Black Friday kicked off the unofficial start of holiday shopping, some consumers eschewed the big bargains to help the small, locally owned businesses. After a year besieged by the pandemic and the shutdown last spring, small business owners say it's crucial for people to be aware of the current struggles.

The scene was much the same in Bergen County as shoppers flocked to downtowns like Ridgewood and Wyckoff.

Jim Serpico, manager of Ridgewood Bootery, said the rhythm for Black Friday shoppers generally revolves around their hitting malls in the early morning before coming to Ridgewood.

"They hit our fantastic restaurants then go to shop," Serpico said.

Though the local stores were not all packed throughout the day, owners emphasized the importance of the community's support.

"It's pretty integral this year," said Kristen Zachares, owner of The Eclectic Chic Boutique in Montclair. "The retail landscape has changed dramatically."

According to the Small Business Administration, $48 of every $100 spent at a small business stays local. With the same $100 at a big-box store or national retailer, $14 stays local, according to SBA.

In a May 2020 survey commissioned by NerdWallet and conducted by The Harris Poll, 37% of Americans said they made more of an effort to support local businesses as a result of the pandemic.

Hoboken resident Kate Montgomery headed to Montclair on Black Friday to do her shopping. She purchased a pair of sneakers for herself at Fleet Feet and will do more gift shopping at local stores.

"I think there's something to be said for the guidance you get at a local store," Montgomery said.

While local stores were busy on this Black Friday, the big push is for Small Business Saturday. Held during the Saturday after Thanksgiving, it's a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities.

This year's Black Friday marked the return of in-person shopping for some. Business at Rockaway Townsquare in Morris County and Willowbrook Mall in Wayne were busy, some with lines of customers waiting for opening.

Marissa Goedtel, 26, and her mother Sandy, 58, waited to get into Pink for the 9 a.m. opening at Willowbrook. They already scored finds at 50% off at Old Navy with an earlier opening time. They say they are there for the deals and prefer to shop early.

Amid the pandemic and before COVID-19 vaccines were available, last year's Black Friday was considered the quietest in decades.

According to the National Retail Federation's annual survey, 64% were expected to shop in stores Friday compared to 51% last year.

There were no big crowds or "doorbusters" but some of the classic Black Friday mindset persisted.

Victoria Fillipone, 17, of Hopatcong woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get to Rockaway Townsquare.

“I wanted to get here before everyone else did,” she said, arriving with her friend Matthew Marshall at 6 a.m. She planed to buy gifts for her mom and maybe sweatshirts for herself.

On Friday morning in Ridgewood and Wyckoff, the shopping hubs were not overly busy. A cold chill and early rain showers may have kept the early birds home or diverted them to the malls.

By later morning, with the sun clearing and people presumably having enough of shopping at malls, Ridgewood merchants said the afternoon and Saturday business should pick up.

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Supply chain issues have affected his store's decisions on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

While there is ample inventory, deliveries are nowhere close to as regular as they were pre-COVID.

"So we passed on Black Friday sales," Serpico said.

At Mephisto, a shoe store on North Walnut Street in Ridgewood, they, too, were waiting for business to pick up, although on the woman's side of store there were several people trying on shoes.

All weekend, shoes will be discounted 20%, its vice president, Matt Green, said. Green agreed that for downtowns like Ridgewood and even the malls people are tending to roll in a bit later.

"The cat's out of the bag," Green said. "People are realizing they don't have to get out so early."

He said that business has not reached pre-pandemic levels but is trending that way.

Lucille Coyle, who owns Apricot Lane Boutique on East Ridgewood Avenue with Carrie Turelli, says she hopes that's the case. While they had a little bit of rush around 11 a.m., overall, Friday had been quiet. The rush is generally between noon and 3 p.m., she said.

In Wyckoff, early on the town's shopping centers were busy but not packed. Even parents taking advantage of the Boulder Run Santa tent set up in the parking lot did not have an impossible task of finding a place to park.

Still, for people like Mike DeCarlo of Midland Park, who brought his family to meet Santa, for local downtowns he said it has been a bit of letdown.

"They used to have a lot more going on," he said.

What stores are open for Black Friday?

Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Belk, GameStop and HomeGoods will all be open Friday morning.

What time do stores open on Black Friday?

Walmart, Kohl's and Best Buy open at 5 a.m. Target opens at 7 a.m. Costco stores open by 9 a.m.

Hours will vary for local stores, shoppers should check retailers' websites for opening and closing times.

Check back for updates as the shopping day continues.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Black Friday 2021 shopping in North Jersey: Here are the details