HARLINGEN — The National Retail Federation estimates some 137.4 million consumers will make purchases in stores or online over the four-day Thanksgiving holiday.
But where their dollars really count is closer to home.
“The best thing about shopping locally is your money stays here in the community,” Scott Meade, whose family has owned Bullrider Western Wear at 1606 S. Sunshine Strip for 37 years, said yesterday as the store’s staff hustled to serve customers during its Black Friday sale.
“We support people in the economy as far as fundraising, and our employees they spend money in the economy as well, and it transfers on and on and on,” Meade added.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be more well-known shopping days, but Small Business Saturday is gaining some traction, too.
Independent small retailers have designated it as a day when shoppers can support locally owned businesses by buying their products.
At Yaya’s Closet at 214 W. Jackson Street, they’ve been open just seven months. The cheery boutique sells women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories.
Erica San Pedro of San Antonio was there yesterday, having returned to celebrate Thanksgiving with family in her hometown of San Benito.
“Two necklaces and two tops,” she says of her purchases.
“I was here for Thanksgiving, and so before we drive back to San Antonio, I had to come,” San Pedro said. “Right when the doors opened, I caught her in the parking lot.”
That was Christina Araguz, co-owner of Yaya’s Closet, who had a line of one when she opened her store yesterday.
She said the videos of angry shoppers wrestling over big-screen TVs isn’t something one will see in Harlingen’s downtown district.
“We’re just happy to be a part of downtown in general,” Araguz said yesterday. “We want to revive this area and give it another option for shopping.
“We’ve got the mall area, and that area always gets congested and real busy, and we want to kind of give a peaceful, walking environment where you can just kind of stroll.”
Araguz said her boutique had sales for Black Friday, but they have something special planned today for Small Business Saturday.
“We’re going to have some nice beverages — coffee, hot chocolate and some wine if they’d like.”
Hot TX Vapors at 1418 E. Tyler Ave., a shop which sells smoking alternative supplies including hundreds of different-flavored juices for vaping, has been open for almost three years and just launched another store in Pharr.
“They’ve been good in the past,” said co-owner Mario Cardenas of Raymondville on Black Fridays and Small Business Saturdays.
Cardenas, whose shop was offering from 10 percent to 20 percent off on sales for Black Friday, said business has slowed in recent months due to regulatory changes placed on the young vaping industry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“But fortunately we have enough return customers, so we’re OK,” Cardenas said.
At Bullrider Western Wear, full of stacked cowboy hats and pungent with the aroma of fresh leather boots, Meade concedes online purchasing has provided a new test when it comes to competition.
But after 37 years, he says, his family has this retail thing down pretty good.
“When you come here you get the service that you can’t get when getting something online,” he said. “Myself, my family, all of our sales associates have been trained and taught to give our customers the best customer service possible.
“By doing that, we ensure that you’re getting what you need.”
