Shop owners report varied Friday sales results

The Friday after Thanksgiving, called "Black Friday" by some retailers because this is the time when they get out of the red and back into the black, is traditionally the single largest shopping day of the year.

Many retailers base their holiday economic outlook, in part, on sales during this one Friday, and that forecast for Ketchum and the upper Wood River Valley varies depending on which store is asked.

General trends around Ketchum seemed to indicate that people were out and shopping, though store visits were hit and miss. Shop owners had mixed explanations for what for some were high numbers and for others, slightly below normal.

Sturtos sales representative Dustin Alloway worked on "Black Friday."

"It kept us busy all day, non-stop," he said.

He added that past post-Thanksgiving shopping may have been a little busier than this year. He attributed the decrease in numbers to the incredible skiing on Bald Mountain, which opened for the season Thursday.

Sturtos manager Dan Gingrich agreed.

"It was a little quieter than in past years, but that’s probably because the hill was in such good shape."

Sturtevants, sister shop to Sturtos which specializes in skis, capitalized on the good skiing conditions.

"It was a better weekend than in past years," said buyer and manager Tyra Lundgren.

Until it snows hard, she said, people usually don’t get organized for the ski season. Apparently the snows motivated people to initiate their winter-sport addiction purchases.

From Idaho With Love, a store that specializes in Idaho-made items and gifts in Ketchum, did well on the big shopping day but not as well as in past years, said manager Diane Vickery.

At another gift-oriented store, Angel Wings, which specializes in collectable angels, gifts and antiques did extremely well. According to Claude Hubert, part owner, it was "one of the best days since we opened."