"We here think of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday as the kickoff to the holiday season. So that's our kind of day to make sure we've got all the best merchandise out, that things are on the floor, which is why the staff's running around like crazy today, making the store look great," said Blondin.
What was once an all-out rush off the top has been transformed into a longer sales period, with some retailers starting their deals even before Thanksgiving.
"It crept into Thanksgiving Day and started ticking people off. I think maybe everybody looked in the mirror and said, 'What am I doing? Let's stay sane,'" said Blondin.
"I was talking with a merchant yesterday that they're looking at their Black Friday special will run through Christmas. That will actually run through almost the end of the year. They can really give people the opportunity to shop at multiple places and also, if everyone's doing the same exact deal this weekend, then that's a lot of choices," said Jen Martin, who runs Shop Local Raleigh.
Blondin said 20% of their sales have historically come in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.
"If (businesses) have deals that last longer, it might give consumers more flexibility and having additional paychecks come in between now and Christmas," said Martin.
Martin encouraged retailers to capitalize off events and pop-ups, such as the Chinese Lantern Festival or The Dessertery. Further, she emphasized the importance of altering hours to ensure they can cater to customers' schedules.
"If you get off (of work) at 5:00, you want to make sure that the store is still open after that timeframe," said Martin.
While local businesses largely cannot compete with deep discounts offered by big box chains, Martin suggested they lean into their differentiators, including customer service and more curated items.
"I wanted this to be a place that is uniquely Raleigh, that when people come to Raleigh, they don't find it anywhere else," said Blondin.
She's supportive of the new pilot program, which offers free parking for two hours at five decks. The program, which will run through the end of February, is part of the city's Downtown Economic Development Strategy.
Blondin also pointed to the importance of Small Business Saturday in driving traffic to locally-owned stores. Like many retailers, she shifted her focus to e-commerce during the pandemic. While she continues to have a website, the homepage stresses that certain items are only available in-store.
"We love you shopping online, but we love it better when you come in," Blondin explained.
SEE ALSO | Doing any online holiday shopping? Watch out for gift card bots and fake website scams
Big picture, it remains to be seen how holiday shopping this year will stack up to prior years. According to a survey from WalletHub, 31% of people say they'll spend less on holiday shopping this year than last year, and nearly half of Americans still have debt from the holiday season last year.
Deloitte projects holiday retail sales to increase between 2.3% to 3.3% this year, with e-commerce expected to grow between 7 to 9% year-over-year.
"Trends indicate that people are going to be a little more budget-conscious. But again, the closer you get to Black Friday, people just get caught up in the rush, and it's almost like their financial discipline goes out the window," said Chip Lupo, an analyst with WalletHub.
Lupo said inflation could lead to higher sales figures, though fewer items purchased. He said buyers should double-check their credit cards to ensure they're taking full advantage of benefits and are aware of any protections they cover. Further, there are certain items that traditionally provide better value.
"We're talking discounts are like 76% for jewelry. Other high discount items are apparel, and in-store will always have the advantage over online there because you can go and you can try it on. You get exactly what you want and not have to worry about the return if what you get isn't what you had ordered. Appliances (are) not exactly a stocking stuffer, not something you would exchange at Christmas. But if you're in the market for a washer, dryer or refrigerator or stove, Black Friday is a great opportunity to go in and get some good discounts," said Lupo.