Black Friday

Contributed Auburn Villager

Will the Auburn-Alabama game spell disaster for merchants, since the game is scheduled for one of the busiest shopping days of the year? Not if Auburn retailers can help it.

The day after Thanksgiving has been dubbed "Black Friday," one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

This year, Black Friday is also the day when the Auburn University Tigers play Alabama--and as every fan knows, that's the biggest game of the year.

Will fans eschew shopping and go to the big game instead? That's a question that has Auburn merchants worried, and they're putting up a fight to keep those customers coming.

They don't expect shoppers to come out during the game, with kick-off scheduled at 1:30 p.m. But they are offering a lot of reasons to shop before and after.

"We started a few months ago, right when we heard the Iron Bowl would be on Friday. We started hearing from retailers that the game might affect them, and we knew we had all these visitors coming into town," said Jennifer Fincher, the Chamber's vice president for communications and marketing.

The Chamber enlisted the aid of the city, the AU athletic department, the convention and visitor's bureau and downtown merchants, and members started brainstorming ideas. The first thing they did was create a Web site (www.ironbowlthanksgiving.com) that tells what businesses will be open and what plans they have for both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.

"We asked all our members to send us their events and specials, and we just had no idea what to expect," Fincher said. "We've already heard a ton of places will be open and a ton of people are coming to town."

Most downtown businesses and restaurants will be open Thanksgiving Day, said Eric Stamp, president of the Downtown Merchants Association.

"Most have put their hours and info on the Web site, and we're getting the information out through the Auburn Alumni Association," Stamp said. "The attitude was to do as much as possible and pull out all the stops for this first weekend, because we expect the game will be this weekend from now on. Going back is not an option."

In addition, the Chamber is staging a pep rally and downtown block party at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening. Tyn Times, a popular band from the 1960s that has recently reunited, will be playing.

"We wanted to do a big event to kick off the Iron Bowl," Fincher said. "We hope everyone will party, go to the game, and shop the rest of the weekend."

AU mascot Aubie and the AU cheerleaders will be on hand, but Fincher notes the event is still a work in progress, with plans still developing.

The Iron Bowl is being played on Friday for the first time in 21 years, thanks to CBS' decision to make the Auburn-Alabama game its lone college football broadcast the day after Thanksgiving.

Because the game has been moved to a nontraditional day, Auburn will receive an extra $300,000 as part of the SEC's annual revenue-sharing package. The visiting team, Alabama, will earn an extra $200,000 as part of the CBS deal.

Moving the date has caused consternation not only among merchants, but also among fans. There's even a Facebook page called "People against Iron Bowl being played on Black Friday." Many of the 157 members work in retail, and say they have to be on the job instead of watching the biggest game of the year.

That's because Black Friday is traditionally viewed as the first day of the Christmas shopping season. The day is called Black Friday because, supposedly, many retailers make their first profit of the year--they're out of the red.

The day is heavily promoted nationwide with deep discounts, extended hours and freebies to attract the anticipated throngs of shoppers. Black Friday could be especially significant this year, given the brutal economic downturn.

Despite concerns about the timing of the Auburn-Alabama game, retailers at Auburn's Village Mall will be doing business pretty much as usual, said Terry Knight, the mall's director of marketing.

"Most of our tenants are national, so they can't really change their doorbusters," Knight said. "A large majority of shoppers are women, so we expect older traffic during the game, people who will shop because they know we won't be as busy."

"Doorbusters" are early specials offered from they time they open till 10 a.m. or noon. As usual on Black Friday, the mall will open at 6 a.m., with some of the anchors opening as early as 4 a.m.

In addition, a shuttle will pick up and drop off fans going to the game as in past years, and Quantum radio stations will be hand to broadcast live. And the mall is trying to lure shoppers after the game by offering a drawing for a $2,000 scooter at 7 p.m., after the game.