TWO RIVERS, Wis. (NBC 26) — Black Friday weekend shoppers are out and about in downtown Two Rivers.
Theresa Kronforst, who owns Schroeder's Department Store, says it's been busier compared to previous years.
"Traffic on this weekend has grown exponentially I think," she said.
Also looking forward to Small Business Saturday, her store is offering double credit for in-store spending.
Kronforst says when you shop local, the money stays local. Plus, buyers might find the little things they can't find anywhere else.
"Through the years, people are picking up the importance that you have to have these local businesses to kind of keep things moving in the city that you live in," she said.
She believes Black Friday shopping trends have shifted, because big box stores now offer deals in advance.
"It's allowed people to want to stay in town," Kronforst said. "They don't need to go [far] anymore, because they could've done that earlier in the week or they could do it next week."
According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales grew almost 14 percent last year compared to 2020. And there's another expected increase this year.
"It's actually huge," a part-owner of Before N Aftersaid. "It's basically one of our biggest days of the year."
In downtown Manitowoc at Before N After Market Place, everything is ten percent off this weekend.
The business sells items created by local vendors.
"When people come in here and spend the money, we're sharing that with 20 different families that are in here," a part-owner said. "So that's my job is to bring people in and help them sell their items."
She says these weekends are getting busier and busier. And she's thankful to those who have stayed local.
"We need to continue to have more and more support," she said. "We still need a lot, a lot of support."
