Black Friday weekend deemed a success

Black Friday weekend in Cedarhurst was considered a success by a few merchants as the warm weather allowed the customers to walk comfortably from store to store and take advantage of 20 to 50 percent savings in their favorite shops.

Debbie Murciano, owner of Debbie’s Closet at 445 Central Ave., said some items were priced at $5 and $10, and most items in the store were 50 percent off. “Black Friday weekend was absolutely amazing,” she said. “Everybody came out and supported the village. We were able to put things outside which also pulled customers into the store.”

Murciano said the two cashiers she had at the registers were not enough to tackle the lines of customers waiting to check out. When asked if there is anything she would do differently next year, Murciano said, “No, I just hope the village will do this again.”

Jeremy Merrill, owner of Dimples, located at 544 Central Ave., said customer feedback was great. “I think people liked it,” he said of Black Friday weekend. “The weather was great.”

Merrill said merchandise in the entire store was 15 percent off as well as select merchandise priced at 50 to 80 percent off. “We had a great selection of discounted merchandise,” he said. “Most people bought regular gift merchandise and everything was great.”

Teri Schure, the executive director for the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District, the group that sponsored the event, said the only way to measure the success of Black Friday weekend is to talk to merchants and see how they fared. “This was our second year and there seemed to be plenty of people out,” she said. “The weather certainly cooperated.”

Prior to Black Friday weekend, Schure went around to restaurants in Cedarhurst to ask if they would offer free tastings to entice customers onto the Central Avenue area. Cravings, King David Delicatessen, Le Chocolat and Off the Wall Frozen Yogurt participated.

On Friday, the Agua Clara Band performed and on Sunday, the Toby Tobias Ensemble and the Welldiggers provided entertainment for those strolling along Central Avenue. “We had music on Friday, two bands on Sunday and a banner this year on Central Avenue that really helped,” Schure said.

Steve Silverman, owner of Morton’s on 533 Central Ave., said Black Friday weekend was good, but not as good as last year’s inaugural event. “Last year, Hanukkah was after Black Friday,” he said. “As far as a weekend sale, the Black Friday event still helped and compared to our numbers two years ago, we’re up from that point.”

Morton’s offered 20 percent off all purchases so the extra savings generated traffic throughout the village and steered people away from the malls, Silverman said. “People want to shop locally and support their community,” he said. “The overall response was very positive and people want to see their town thriving. I hope we continue to do it year after year.”