‘Retail hub’ Both big and small business factor into Wasilla economy on Black Friday

WASILLA — Black Friday means a lot of different things to the city of Wasilla and surrounding Mat-Su Valley.

Wasilla features several major retail stores that offer the Black Friday sales, with the significant deals, and draw the most dedicated shoppers throughout the holiday weekend. But it’s not all big business in Wasilla. There are the smaller and local shops rallying behind Small Business Saturday.

“That’s when we start seeing a little bit more activity than normal in Wasilla, people looking for deals for Christmas. It’s kind of a kick off for the holiday shopping time,” Wasilla mayor Bert Cottle said.

Cottle said that about 12 percent of the retailers in Wasilla are chain stores and all sales feed into Wasilla’s economy.

“We’re all about sales tax. We make it or break it on sales tax… That’s how we do the budget,” Cottle said.

Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessica Viera said that Black Friday significantly impacts Wasilla’s economy and by affect, the surrounding Valley, saying that the Wasilla stores generate a lot of revenue during the whole weekend.

“I believe that Black Friday has a strong impact on Wasilla. Since we tend to be the retail hub of the Valley,” Viera said.

Viera said that all the large retailers are in Wasilla but also features a plethora of small businesses.

“I believe that it is very important that we spend our money out here,” Viera said. “Money that we spend locally stays local.”

Viera said that having both small and large businesses around Wasilla was important because it grants variety, thus helping drive down some portions of online sales.

“It gives you options. It keeps prices lower,” Viera said. “Competition’s always good for prices. It keeps people being able to shop here. Some things you might not to be able to get at a small retailer but you can get at one of the big-box stores and things that you can’t get at the big-box stores you can get from small retailers,”

Viera said that time surrounding Black Friday serves as a chance for the various retailers in Wasilla to “end on a high note” and for many of them, it’s their biggest sales weekend of the year. She said that small businesses are especially vulnerable during this time.

“For some of them, that’s their make it or break it,” Viera said.

Black Friday shopper and U.S. Army Infantryman Robby Hayes bought a 55-inch, 4K television for $370 at Walmart at noon on Black Friday. He said he was planning on purchasing a new TV anyway and just wanted to check to see if there were any good deals left.

“If not, no skin off my nose. I already have a TV,” Hayes said with a laugh.

He said that the overall sales trends surrounding Black Friday at the big-box stores were getting extreme and he didn’t like how it creeped into Thanksgiving Day around the same time people would normally eating their feast.

“I think it’s taking away from the actual holiday of Thanksgiving. So if you’re going to do Black Friday Sales, make sure people have time for their family and they’re not so worried about sales because then some people are going to be out there, just like, ‘oh I need a deal for Christmas presents and stuff so they’re going to kind of back away from Thanksgiving and worry about other holidays,” Hayes said.

Hayes said that while he was getting some last minute items for Thanksgiving on Thursday, he saw Black Friday sales starting at 6 p.m. He said that going forward, he sees this annual sales event becoming its own “consumer holiday” which will likely expand further into a week or more. He said that although the prices were slashed, that’s probably how they will be able to keep making significant sales.

“That’s the part I don’t necessarily agree with, is them starting way too early. I totally understand the sales but don’t encroach in an actual holiday when people are supposed to be spending time with their families,” Hayes said.

Marrisa Butikofer, a Black Friday shopper and phlebotomists for the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, was at Target Friday afternoon, browsing various board and card games near the electronics section. Butikofer said that she was just there for more fun and not worried about getting the best deal at some odd hour of the day and she happened to find a good deal on the one specific item she was looking for, an outdoor fire pit.

“When I was a kid my aunt took me for the first time and I will never forget that,” Butikofer said.

She said that Black Friday wasn’t the only time of year to get a good deal and as long as it doesn’t interfere with Thanksgiving and is meant to be fun, it’s worth browsing.