Black Friday in city goes off OK
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By KEITH WALKER, news & messenger
Published: November 28, 2008
Judging by the parking lots of Manassas area shopping centers, Black Friday went off OK in spite of the slow economy.
Some Black Friday shoppers said they planned to spend less, while others said they would spend more. Some said their spending would remain the same as last year.
Ashby Boyd said his family is feeling the pinch this year and would be spending less.
"We're trying to get more thoughtful gifts rather than just mass quantity," said Boyd, a finance and accounting manager.
"We're feeling it and part of that is trying to keep an eye on things and not overextend ourselves as much this year," Boyd said at the Manassas Mall Friday.
Sherry Levy came from Warrenton to shop with her family at the Manassas Mall. She said her family's cir-cumstances haven't changed over the last year.
"I think we're actually spending a little more this year," she said.
Chris Hazel said she and her friends made the rounds Friday morning and she thought business was good in the Manassas area.
"We were in Wal-Mart at four o'clock in the morning and those flat-screened TVs were going out the door," Hazel said. "I don't see any downturn in the economy.
"We passed Kohl's this morning and it didn't look like there was a parking space there ei-ther," Hazel said during a trip to the mall.
Marsha Woodard, of Hickory, N.C., did some shopping Friday at the Manassas Mall and said she and her family would probably spend about the same as last year.
"I don't see us cutting back any," Woodard said.
Gregg Perrier and Carol Friesen said they would be spending less this year, but the economy had little to do with their spending cuts.
"Our son is overseas and it's hard to send him stuff," Perrier said.
Area shop owners said business was good Friday.
By Friday afternoon, The Things I Love in Old Town was so busy that owner Joanne Wunderly was having a hard time keeping up.
"It seems to be very good right now in Old Town," Wunderly said of business on Black Friday.
Jan Alten, the owner of the Opera House Gourmet in Old Town Manassas, said she was sure the economy would affect spending, but she wasn't too worried.
She has her merchandise lined up and her staff ready to go for this shopping season.
"They know where we are. Beyond that, it's in the hands of somebody other than me," Alten said.
Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.
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