Bargain hunters hitting the stores Friday morning on the busiest
shopping day of the year don’t have to look any farther than Main
Street of Bradford for some good deals.
“We’re going to have a big two-day sale,” said Mike Butler,
manager of Man’s World. “It’s the biggest sale we have between
Thanksgiving and Christmas – it’s 25 percent off anything in the
store.
“It’s a nice sale and a nice savings,” he said. “We’ve been
successful with it in the past.
“I think people are waiting for it,” he said with a laugh on
Monday, mentioning the store wasn’t very busy at that time. But
business picks up after Thanksgiving, he added.
The post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas rush is a busy time of the
year for the downtown, and Butler urged even more people to
remember to keep Bradford in mind when making those lists and
checking them twice.
“You don’t have to go to the big stores to get the big sales,”
Butler said. “The little stores can get you the good quality and
the good service. You don’t have to go to New York state and pay
that sales tax.”
Shop local and save money, agreed Jack Shapara, manager of James
R. Evans.
“When I go to other stores, I look, and their prices are
higher,” he said. “People don’t understand what we carry. People
should realize you don’t have to travel anywhere to get a better
price, not to mention the cost of gas and the wear and tear on the
car and on yourself.”
Even a trip across the border to Olean, N.Y., will cost about $4
in gasoline alone, Shapara mentioned, citing the price of filling
the gas tank these days.
“I have most items on sale, more than usual,” he said, adding
again that people need to be convinced to shop local.
Just up the street from those longtime businesses is the Main
Street Mercantile, in its second Christmas season in Bradford.
“Compared to last year, sales have been up about 52 percent
compared to these same months,” explained Main Street Manager Diane
DeWalt, who manages the Mercantile.
And the merchants who make up the space in the co-op are
bustling to get ready for Black Friday, as the busiest shopping day
is known.
“We’ve pretty much been getting ready for the entire month, as
far as everyone bringing in their holiday items and getting their
booths stocked,” DeWalt said. “We’re making sure we have plenty of
change and plenty of bags.”
She said the co-op space is full “to the brim” in preparation
for the season, and the stock on hand changes almost daily.
“Inventories aren’t always very deep on items, so it might not
be there when you come back,” she said, warning “lookers” that they
might want to act on that impulse to buy. “Each of these vendors
are a small, unique space. They only order a few of each item, or
make a few of each item.
“We do what we can to help people find things if we don’t have
it,” DeWalt added.
She added that the Bradford Area Business Group is offering a
shopping incentive at its member businesses beginning Friday in the
form of a sign-up to win gift certificates. She referred further
questions to Candy Tingley, who did not immediately return a call
seeking comment.
