Black Friday crowds thin

The week of Thanksgiving is still the largest shopping event of the year, but long lines in Siloam springs may be on their way out the door.

With more holiday shopping taking place on other days of the week and even online, several Siloam Springs shops had a quieter Black Friday than in years past.

Gamestop and Game Exchange both opened early Friday morning without as much fanfare as usual. Chris Caudle, who was working the opening shift for Game Exchange, said crowds were way down from last year.

"We are hoping it picks up a bit later," Caudle said, 20 minutes after opening. "It's definitely different."

Game Exchange has deals running throughout the weekend, along with specials that are exclusive to Friday.

Stage, located at U.S. Highway 412 and North Progress Avenue, took a new strategy this year to get out in front of holiday crowds. Like some other retailers, Stage has been opening on Thanksgiving Day to give shoppers an opportunity to get an early start on holiday shopping.

But this year, for the first time, Stage began its Black Friday specials on Wednesday.

"We had a pretty good line when we opened (Wednesday)," Niki Yelverton said. Yelverton, who is the store manager for Stage, said the opening went well, generating an estimated $12,000 in sales in over a six-hour span. The opening featured giveaways and sales, and was likely the reason for the slow start on Friday, Yelverton said.

In addition to continuing sales from larger stores, shoppers had a unique opportunity on Saturday. Nov. 26, the day after Black Friday, was Shop Small Saturday, an event organized by American Express to encourage shopping at local businesses, according to the credit card company's website. An estimated 95 million people participated in the event last year, according to the website.

In Siloam Springs, the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce released a list of 24 businesses that participated in the shopping event, including 2 B's Autos, Bathe, Creative Corner and more. The widely varied businesses offered some discounts and Main Street Siloam Springs hosted the Muffin Madness Tasting and Competition at the Old Post Office.