My experience with Black Friday...

Primarily, I am a jewelry and soap maker, and I sell my goods online.  But, from time to time, I participate in craft shows and the like within the area...

For the second year in a row now, i've vended at a local show that's the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, and for the second year in a row now, the show has been terribly slow.

I think this year was worse than last primarily because of the economy, but I have also learned as a small business woman, that it's important to reach your target market.  And, I say this, because not only am *I* faced with this reality, but so are the big box stores, as well as the little ones.

Lowering prices is a great start to drawing in new business, or even repeat customers... but they also need to feel like what they are spending their money on, is useful and appropriate - during a time when money is tight.

One of the biggest things you can do for a small business, is find a niche in a tight economy and offer a product for a fair price, that's still wanted/needed/and useful.  Otherwise, it really doesn't matter how well you price your items, the sales may still not come, if your customers can not validate the need for spending.

Just a thought, and a different twist on the same old same old.
♥
Janell