Vehicles are pictured outside the Chautauqua Mall on Black Friday. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee
The arrival of Thanksgiving also means the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Crowded parking lots Friday were proof of that.
“We were in the mall last year and we did pretty well,” said Gordon Fox, the owner of Foxy Knifes, a company based out of Hornell, N.Y. “The rent is decent. The people seem to like our products, and we’re happy to be here for another year. The people here are super friendly; this is just a good atmosphere to do business in.”
For the owner of All-American Maker, the choice to open at the Chautauqua Mall on “Black Friday” was a no-brainer.
“The cost for commercial rental space, with adequate space, decent parking and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is a premium in Jamestown,” Brendan Halbohm said. “The mall offered much more affordable rental rates, with plenty of parking and security right on site.”
The National Retail Federation projects that an estimated 182 million are planning to shop in-stores and online through the five-day Thanksgiving weekend. Black Friday was set to lead the charge, making up for 130.7 million of the potential shoppers.
At the same time, economists note that fear of inflation, while down from a year ago, is still a concern looming in consumers’ minds — and could lead to somewhat modest spending this season. The extension of Black Friday sales and growing strength of other shopping events is also changing what holiday spending looks like today.
“It’s nice to see more stores in the mall this year,” Lakewood resident Lisa Anderson said Friday. “There seems to be a variety of niche stores this year, specialty stores that are organic to our area. I like to buy products from them for family and friends as gifts — something that is unique, and you can’t find anywhere else.”
But what about beyond Black Friday and the holiday shopping season?
“I just signed a year-long lease,” Halbohm said. “I’m hoping to make the mall my permanent new home for business.”
“I hope some of these stores stay here and just don’t open then close because of Christmas,” added Lyle Copperstone, 61, a resident of Jamestown and native of Erie, Pa. “I don’t really like going to the mall in Erie; it’s too big and kind of crowded. I like our little mall. The people are nice and I like the non-corporate atmosphere of our little shops.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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November 25, 2023 at 12:05PM
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Crowded Lots Signal Arrival Of Holiday Shopping Season - Jamestown Post Journal
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