The Nov. 24 edition of Toledo Free Press Star, featuring a cover story on Usher, is available as an electronic edition.

One centerpiece of the Thanksgiving holiday is food. While our local growing season has for the most part ended, Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) may have played a role in some of the edible items on your holiday table.
CIFT is involved in a number of areas including research in turning algae into aviation fuel, producing food and helping small food-product businesses get off the ground.  They are also one of 10 groups in the U.S. who have partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service.
Jim Konecny, manager of marketing and communications for CIFT, spoke with Toledo Free Press on Nov. 19, after the release of its annual report that spans its accomplishments from September 2009 to September 2010.
There are several different facets to CIFT’s “Our City in a Garden” project. Konecny said CIFT’s  goal in that project, “Is to bring the garden and gardening into the city of Toledo —  into urban areas. What we found, amazingly only 2 percent of the food eaten in Ohio is grown in Ohio. We established a need to create this Our City in a Garden concept, to bring it to the Toledo area.”
The concept uses vertical hydroponic gardens and hoop houses with research being done to extend the growing season. Konecny said one example of where produce is being grown outside of the traditional season in our area is Bittersweet Farms in Whitehouse.
“I was trudging through snow last year to get to the greenhouse and it was just blooming everywhere.  They have really maxed it out, it started out as a nice simple project for some of the residents to get involved in but it turned into a money maker.  Imagine fresh tomatoes and other produce grown locally in January,”  Konecny said.
Vertical hydroponic gardening is in place more than 10 locations that include Clay High School during the traditional growing season. The “Grow a Row” portion of Our City in a Garden provides excess local produce to area food banks.
One of the concerns raised during Toledo City Council’s discussion on the proposed urban gardening project at the former Doehler Jarvis site, was Lucas County Improvement Corporation’s (LCIC) lack of experience with this type of a project.  Konecny said that CIFT has worked with LCIC in the past and CIFT would likely lend resources to that project.
While CIFT has been in existence since 1995, Konecny said some of their projects have gotten media attention, however, there is a great deal of what it does that the public is not aware of.
Using woven biodegradable knit socks filled with organic compost and soil, several local restaurants, such as Mancy’s Steak House, tested growing fresh produce like cherry tomatoes and lettuce. Grow Soxx provides the ability to grow fresh produce in places where a traditional garden isn’t possible.
CIFT’s Small Business Program provides a number of resources, from how to start up a food-based business, to cryogenic freezing, to providing commercial kitchen space.  They also sponsor an annual food product development contest.
Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (NOCK) is one of two sites in Ohio, the other is in Athens.
“These are products that were born and created in Ohio and beyond,” Konecny said. “The space is rented out for a very nominal fee.”
Bullfrog BBQ, Pomona Chocolates, and Green Fields Pesto are three of the more than 20 small businesses that currently use NOCK.
The change in the political landscape in Ohio and in Washington, D.C. does not concern Konecny.  He said CIFT has worked with members of both parties, “We feel confident in what we do and the services we provide, the jobs that we bring, we feel with the relationships we’ve established for 15 years plus, that they will recognize our value.
CIFT and the staff of about 17 is funded mainly from membership fees and grants.
We often discuss Toledo’s potential as a “green city” when it comes to alternative energy.  This is a whole different way for our area to become more “green” — let’s hope it continues to grow.

Toledo Free Press contributor Lisa Renee Ward operates the political blog GlassCityJungle.com.

I’m not the best at writing thank you notes beyond e-mail and Facebook, and, even with such easy means of saying “thanks,” I sometimes move too quickly onto the next thing without stopping to appreciate what I already have. Personally, I am thankful for:
1. Our dentist and his staff, who are friendly and professional and who very successfully performed the first-ever cavity filling on one of my children.

2. All of the coaches, referees and umpires who have helped to mold my son’s athletic side and see him through both victory and defeat.

3. My husband’s company, which allows him to be an involved father and husband

4. A loving and omnipresent peer group of fellow parents, whose insights and hard work make parenting that much more manageable and enjoyable.

5. My nieces and nephews, who give me such joy and pride as I watch them grow into fine individuals.

6. The incredible people of my church, who set a constant example of thanks and of giving.

7. Being a part of Toledo Free Press, a publication I am proud to have my name in week after week.

8. My son’s elementary school teachers and staff, who keep him safe and cultivate his mind.

9. My daughter’s preschool teachers, who accepted a kicking, screaming little girl into their classrooms many a day and helped make the pit in my stomach feel a little smaller.

10. The makers of toilet paper, baby wipes and toothbrushes, who have added hours of fun to my youngest child’s little world

11. Every one of my in-laws, who continually disprove that the term “in-law” is deserving of a negative connotation.

12. Clothing manufacturers, who create the only gift guaranteed to please my middle child.

13. Military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters and anyone else who lives a commendable life of duty, danger and constant uncertainty.

14. My neighbors, who make my in-perpetual-need-of-attention house worthwhile.

15. My husband’s euchre group, which gives him a much-needed, once-a-month break from the nonstop chaos that is his home life.

16. My siblings and their partners, who remain my constant friends regardless of the space and time between us.

17. My fellow moms, who take me out and get me laughing just when I need it most.

18. Everyone who helps to keep roads and the friendly skies safe as I travel and as my loved ones travel day after day.

19. All of the acquaintances and strangers bold enough to remind this mother of three on a semi-regular basis that it doesn’t last forever.

20. All of the happily married couples who constantly model true love and commitment.

21. My dad, a 64-year-old man who spent two months flying back and forth to Louisiana, living in a makeshift dormitory and working 12-hours-a-day and six-days-a-week to help clean up oil and make money to help send his children and grandchildren to Las Vegas for his son’s wedding.

22. My mom, who let him go and held down the fort in his absence.

23. My children’s pediatrician, who not only allays fears and keeps my children healthy, but encouraged me to have the third child who has made our family feel complete.

24. BCSN and YouTube, which have kept my sports-minded son content within the confines of an ESPN-less family.

25. Facebook, which helped to solve a neighborhood crime, found me an otherwise unavailable birthday gift for my dad, allowed me to relate to people I wouldn’t have known otherwise and kept me connected to the outside world from the inside of my house.

26. All of the people who take the time to read what I have to say.

27. Innumerable layers of friends and family, who make this life enriching and full.

28. My children, who think I’m a superhero even on the days I can’t think of one thing I’ve done right.

29. My husband and best friend, who made my dream of being a wife and a mother come true and whose love and loyalty has made me never want to turn in any other direction.

30. All of the people in invisible occupations that serve me and my family so quietly and so seamlessly that I fail to even recognize the differences you make in our everyday lives.

31. Thanksgiving itself, which gives me an opportunity to remember to appreciate all of those little things I may have forgotten otherwise.

E-mail Shannon at letters@toledofreepress.com.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at BGSU’s Doyt Perry Stadium, I did a double take when looking at the scoreboard.
Yes, the final score was still the same. The bright lights still spelled out “WHITMER 14 ST. JOHNS 10,” but it didn’t seem possible at that point.
I was assigned to the Whitmer Panther broadcasts this year for WRSCradio, and had mixed feelings about doing the team’s games.
I went to St. Francis, and quite frankly Whitmer was a rival for the Knights every football season. During my time in high school the Panthers had not yet joined the City League, therefore the second game on the schedule of every football season was Whitmer.
Call it high school immaturity that still resides inside, but for whatever reason there were mixed feelings about becoming an honorary member of the Panther community.
Due to recent news, being a public high school in Toledo seems to carry a negative connotation these days. We have watched the Shakespearean tragedy that is the descent of the Toledo Public school system.
With a levy failure last spring cutting certain teams and all freshmen and junior high sports plus another levy failure this past fall, the athletic situation continues to look bleak.
Things aren’t that way at Whitmer these days. The Washington Local School District (WLS) just finished a renovation at the high school’s football stadium.
The Panthers’ stadium might be the nicest high school facility in the city of Toledo.
The support of the community is unmatched. The home stands are packed at every football game, and you would be hard pressed to find the last time a levy failed in the school district.
However, it has been the people I have encountered there who have surprised me the most. The coaches, players and athletic administration have been first-class.
In all honesty though, there are plenty of schools in and around Toledo that have great kids, teachers, coaches and communities.
All anyone has to do is drive down I-280 near the turnpike and see the newly renovated Lake football stadium to see that. But few schools have had the athletic success in the City League and state level that Whitmer has.
That athletic success has not been more evident than on the gridiron this past fall. Whitmer won its second consecutive City League championship, and last weekend, the team beat St. John’s Jesuit for the second time this season to advance to the state semifinals in Division I.
The Nov. 20 regional final against the Titans was a rematch of a week five meeting in which Whitmer blasted St. John’s 49-24.
The game was much different this time around. The Panthers lacked edge and energy, but somehow they still found a way to win.
Being outplayed for most of the first half, Whitmer’s Joe McNabb blocked a punt with just 30 seconds left in the second quarter that was ran back for a tying touchdown. Then with five minutes to go in the game and trailing 10-7, Whitmer put together a clutch drive to go ahead 14-10, and the players would never look back.
I have always been told that good teams always find a way to win, and that is what happened Nov. 20.
The Panthers play Lakewood St. Edwards on Nov. 27 with a chance to go to the state finals on the line.
No matter what happens in that game, the most excited person might be in the press box.
Go, Panthers!

Chris Schmidbauer is sports editor for Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com. He is also the co-host of the “Odd Couple Sports Show” on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA and can be heard every weekday from 10 a.m. to noon. He can also be seen weekly on the “Friday Night Frenzy Tailgate Show” on NBC 24’s America One.

As Black Friday and the holiday shopping season quickly approach, the business community is focusing its attention on this year’s holiday retail sales as an indication of the state of the economy after the past 18 months of recovery. The results of this season’s sales will also be viewed as a guide for whether the recovery will prove sustainable or whether recent government policy has fostered any real growth.
We expect this holiday season to provide mixed signals to commentators and policymakers. Considering historical averages, sales will probably still be relatively low. However, we do expect an improvement versus last year as stores promote deep holiday discounts.
The real impact of this year’s holiday sales will be felt after New Year, once numbers are totaled and analyzed. Strong retail sales could instigate corporate investment in expansion projects, which would continue our economic recovery and begin to ease unemployment.
Conversely, poor sales could cause a major shift in government policy, particularly given the changing makeup of the incoming Congress.
If retail sales are weak, some (not many, but some) policymakers are finally going to realize that extending unemployment benefits won’t make people shop. People are comfortable spending money when they have jobs; and a handout isn’t the same as income.
Additionally, there have been a significant number of Americans whose unemployment benefits have been recently expiring after Democrats in Congress failed to push through an extension of benefits, much to the chagrin of 99ers who made headlines rallying for such an extension.
Sadly, though the U.S. economy has improved modestly since bottoming after the crash of 2008, this recovery will be fruitless unless our leaders can encourage job growth. With real unemployment in this country at 17 percent, according to the BLS, the United States lacks sufficient consumers to support a continued recovery.
Before the U.S. economy can see real growth to resume pre-crash levels, we need to see unemployment drop significantly. The current stated unemployment rate needs to be down around 5-6 percent, rather than its current 9.6 percent. This nation’s policymakers need to be doing all they can to help business and foster job growth.
That brings us to the impact this shopping this holiday season will have on the investment world. From a financial perspective, the next several weeks should be very revealing as to whether monetary policy pursued as of late by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is having a positive impact.
Many people, particularly inflation watchdogs, believe that Mr. Bernanke’s policies are detrimental to the U.S. economy and that a new plan of action is needed.
Interestingly enough, while Bernanke’s “quantitative easing” (read: printing money) has allowed for a mild economic recovery in this country, his policies have caused foreign economies to improve significantly more than domestically. Moreover, while his policies have helped to provide markets with liquidity, employment has not improved, but actually continued to worsen until just recently.
Consider Germany for example, who according to a recent Blomberg article is preparing for its strongest holiday sales season since 2004. Though the rest of Europe remains bogged down in debt problems compounding fiscal policy worries, Germans are projected to spend more than 75 billion Euros between November and December.
Of course, since the financial crisis that began in 2008 Germany has pursued policies almost directly opposite to those of the United States. As a result, though doubts remain whether the EU can survive this mess, Germany has recovered much more substantially than its neighbors or the US.
In fact, leading up to the G20 summit in April of 2009, leaders in the US had the gall to attack German policy makers including Chancellor Angela Merkel by saying that they were failing to “fill the demand hole.” More than a year later it is grossly apparent how Merkel’s “boneheaded” policy has fared, as compared to the US’s expansion of money supply and government spending under Bernanke.

Dock David Treece is a discretionary money manager with Treece Investment Advisory Corp. and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA. He works for Treece Financial Services Corp. and also serves as editor of the financial news site Green Faucet. The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

There is pushing and people yelling everywhere you look. The phones are ringing; the computers are humming, and everyone’s running around looking for the best deal. You might be thinking this is Toys “R” Us on Black Friday, but it’s just another day at the stock market exchange.
Just in time for the holidays there is a lot of financial news to be thankful for. The Great Recession appears to be over and financial forecasts for the future look a lot better in several areas. Just in time for the holiday shopping, the stock market has turned around and had a very nice rally to put the stock market on track for another positive year. Consumer confidence is once again growing. We are still cautiously optimistic, but it is great to see some more positive news lately.
Recently, my wife and I, Nolan, took our boys to watch Santa come into town at Levis Commons and enjoyed the shops with a nice cup of Starbucks and hot cocoa for the kids. The retail stores are ready to go and the Department of Commerce reported retail sales have increased for four months in a row. The holiday deals are almost everywhere a shopper looks.
You might even be crossing off items on your list this weekend shopping at the stores or online. Even old Saint Nick is in a jolly good mood.
Unfortunately, when it comes to buying investments on Wall Street, many investors will miss out on current opportunities. It amazes us how many people will go out in the middle of the night and stand in line in snow, rain, and just downright cold weather to save 30 to 70 percent off Christmas presents, yet many of these same people will avoid buying stocks when they are on sale. Instead, the average investors’ emotions of fear and greed, get the best of them buying when prices are high and selling when prices are low. Before this happens to you, we are here to help educate you about getting your financial list together for the holidays.
Just like you get your store list put together and know exactly where you are going to go, map out what you want financially. The stock market is divided into large, medium, and small companies and two different types of investment styles, growth and value. And though many stocks have a blend of both growth and value opportunities, each style of investing can do better at different times. Morningstar, an independent company that provides stock market analysis and research, says, “Growth is defined based on fast growth (high growth rates for earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow) and high valuations (high price ratios and low dividend yields). Most of these portfolios focus on companies in rapidly expanding industries.” Think of growth companies like the hot new toy that every kid wants. Hot new toys can either change the industry or end up at the bottom of the toy box by Easter.
Value companies can be the ones that have gone through difficult times or they could be companies that other investors have simply ignored. Morningstar says, “Value is defined based on low valuations (low price ratios and high dividend yields) and slow growth (low growth rate for earnings, sales, book value and cash flow).” During many periods in time, in the long run, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks. Value investing can take some shopping around to find the deals, it means going where usually everyone else isn’t at.
We, as The Retirement Guys, believe there are still plenty of opportunities to take advantage of in the stock market right now. We love some of the growth companies out there and we are always looking for the great values. Diversification, although it doesn’t guarantee against loss, can be a good method to build a great portfolio for 2011.
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc nor its representatives provide tax advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537.

Editor’s note: Toledo Free Press will follow the Blank family of Millbury for one year as they rebuild their lives after a June 5 tornado destroyed their Main Street home.
Contractor Mark Rigg is still trying to get the Blanks home for Christmas. But it is going to be close.
“We are about four to five weeks out,” Rigg said on Nov. 13. “We have a couple of weeks of painting. The cabinets are in, the driveway is done and the pool got fixed.”
Inside, his crews are putting in the interior trim and as soon as that is done, the painter is coming in and then the light fixtures will go in next. It will take a couple of weeks to put in light fixtures and then the carpet will go in last.
“We are trying to get them in for Christmas. I think we are going to make it,” Rigg said.
One major difference with this house will be the size of the kitchen. Julie Blank never thought she would rebuild again, but if she did, she always wanted a bigger kitchen.

Andy Jaquay Sr. of Jaquay Construction works at the Blanks’ new home.

Her nephew Kyle Williamson, who is hosting this year’s Thanksgiving, said he is glad his aunt will get her dream kitchen, although not at this cost.
Julie would rather be in her old house with everyone safe. The Blanks’ neighbors, the Walters, lost three of their four family members.
Rigg said he never saw what the Blanks’ house looked like before the tornado. When he was hired, “All I saw was a deck and a mess,” he said.
While the new house may resemble parts of the old house, which was built in 1999, this house comes with a history that will never be forgotten.
“It has been nice to see the whole area come back to life,” Rigg said. “Most of the houses in the neighborhood are well under way; the neighborhood really looks significantly different. I know the whole neighborhood is glad to see it.”
Julie is getting anxious to move back home. The kitchen appliances are supposed to be delivered the day before Thanksgiving. She anticipates starting to move the first or second weekend in December. Luckily, the perpetual hostess was not scheduled to open her home up for Christmas. It’s her sister’s turn this year.
“We are in a holding pattern,” Julie said. “We ordered all the furniture from a few different stores and set up delivery dates.”
The one for sure thing is her new inflatable Santa, although if that will make its appearance at their Oregon condo or their new-old house is still unknown.

Black Friday isn’t just for holiday gift-giving sales. Oh, no! It can bring on a totally different meaning if you are a bride-to-be.Deals are to be had and I’ve got some that will take the cake.
If you snooze, you lose on some great deals at Ragazza in Perrysburg. Shop classic styles with a hip twist. The shop has dresses and gowns perfect for bridal showers and wedding celebrations. Take advantage of summer clearance items for tropical honeymoons and 2011 summer weddings. Doors open at 6 a.m. with 30 percent off. If you get there at 7 a.m. you will receive 20 percent and after 8 a.m., 10 percent off. So don’t be late!

Grand Lubell Photography

Run, run Rudolph! The first 30 people through the doors at Fiddle Stix Boutique at Levis Commons will receive a free Vera Bradley tote valued at $48. Check out the retired Vera Bradley styles to receive 25 percent off totes and bags, perfect for bridesmaids’ gifts.
The tulle will be flying as thousands of gowns go on sale at Gallippo’s Bridal and Formal in Toledo. From bridal gowns to formal attire, to shoes, accessories and veils, everything in the store will be 25-80 percent off. “Nothing will be held back,” Yvonne Gallippo said. This great sale includes new 2011 styles.
To accessorize your wedding day look, head over to Puttin’ On the Glitz in Perrysburg, where everything is 20 percent off and more. Tailor your look with tiaras and custom-designed Swarovski crystal jewelry. There is a lot to see and shop. “It’s pretty much anything you would need for your ceremony or reception,” said Kelly Heuss. You’ll find crystal monogrammed cake toppers and servers, toasting flutes, guest books and unity candles — all on sale. A selection of invitations for showers, rehearsal dinners and weddings will also be on sale.
Starting Black Friday through Dec. 1, you can enjoy two great offers from Grand Lubell Photography. Take $500 off its Creative License Photography package which includes all-day coverage with one photographer and digital negatives. Or take $500 off its famous Photoboothlive, an interactive media that allows you to snap 15 friends at the click of a remote.
Waiting in line? Then dial the phone for a great offer from Bartz Viviano by scheduling a consultation before the end of the year with wedding floral designer Ann Strickland. Brides who book their wedding before the end of the year will receive a free bridal bouquet.
As Jane Wurth, owner of Ragazza said, “Men go deer hunting at 6 a.m. Women go shopping.” So while your groom-to-be is out enjoying the hunt, so can his bride. Happy hunting, to all the Black Friday brides!
Brittany Craig is the principal event designer and coordinator for Crowning Celebrations. She specializes in weddings and social celebrations. Follow her Eventista blog at www.crowningcelebrations.blogspot.com.

The words of the day, each day of our 10-night New England/Canada cruise at the end of September on the NCL Jewel. were “Washee, washee! Happy, happy!” They were spoken with a smile by a charming young Filipino gal as she greeted us with a spray of antibacterial soap to our hands as we entered the Garden Buffet, which of course we did quite often.
We chose this particular cruise because one of the ports was Quebec City, where we had not visited for several years. The four others who went with us had never been there. The three other ports were Newport R.I., Halifax, and Sydney, Nova Scotia. We were also scheduled to go to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, but it was dropped when our ship developed some mechanical problems and could not sail at its normal speed. We were compensated with a $50 p.p. cabin credit.
The six of us drove to New York City in our van at a cost of $108 per person covering gas ($150), parking at the pier ($300), Days Inn in Tannersville, Penn. ($56 double), and tolls ($30). For six people that is definitely cheaper than flying and we enjoyed some fall color. My husband and my cousin even got in 9 holes of par 3 golf at the lighted Shawnee Resort near Delaware Gap. A casino at the Mt. Airy Lodge was just a few miles from the motel. On weeknights, motels in the Pocono area were cheaper than those in New Jersey along I-80.
On previous trips we had always driven into New York on a weekend and it was definitely more congested on this Tuesday morning from the George Washington Bridge to the pier. Luckily, it was smooth sailing once we reached the ship. Although I have done it several times, sailing down the Hudson River past Manhattan, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and under the Verazzano Narrows Bridge is always a thrilling and moving experience. The beautiful weather was a bonus.
The next morning we woke up in Newport. Two of our group took a trolley tour ($26) of the area. The other four of us walked a mile to pick up the Cliffwalk, a 3-and-a-half mile path that goes along the edge of the ocean with the Newport mansions (“cottages” that once belonged to the wealthy such as the Vanderbilts and the Astors) on the other side. The vistas and the weather both made for a wonderful morning.
My husband and I did the last two miles alone after the other two headed back to the ship. Those last two miles were much more difficult, over uneven rocks.
We bought a trolley day pass ($6) and went back for lunch and my camera. Since we had toured The Breakers on a previous trip, we chose Rosecliff this time. Admission was $14 for the tour. This mansion was patterned after La Petit Trianon at Versailles and it was resplendent. The movies, “True Lies,” “The Great Gatsby” and “27 Dresses,” were all filmed in the mansion and on the grounds. We had a little time left so we went back to the easy part of the Cliffwalk so I could take some pictures.
In Halifax we all decided to stay in town, because on other trips we had rented a van to see Peggy’s Cove, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. The FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown) Bus does a circular route through the central city, so two rode it to see the sights. However, it is not really a tour bus and was very crowded. Some of us walked to the public gardens and the Citadel, stopping at the public library to e-mail.
We all ended up at Murphy’s on the waterfront to do a whale-watching trip ($39). Unfortunately, we saw only two whales a long distance away, but we did see many dolphins and seals. A walk along the boardwalk took us back to the ship.
Our day in Quebec City was everything we had hoped for. Since my husband and I had been there three times before, we wanted to do something different, so we rented bikes and rode the 14-mile round trip to Mt. Morency Falls which are considerably higher than Niagara. The other four toured the old city in a horse and carriage ($80).
Our plan for Sydney was to rent a car, drop the guys at the golf course, and then head for the reconstructed fortress of Louisburg. However, with shortened time there and having to tender in, we decided that we would be too pressed to be back by 12:30 p.m. So the guys took a cab ($30 round trip) and we ladies explored the town, which was not terribly exciting but quite pleasant. The other two times we were there we did rent a car to drive part of the picturesque Cabot Trail, and visited Louisburg.
All in all it was a very pleasant trip, with many relaxing sea days. The evening entertainment was excellent and our trivia team the “Mixed Nuts” won the progressive tournament.

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at news@toledofreepress.com.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become a shopping ritual for American consumers and retailers, according to Ainsworth Bailey, associate professor of marketing in the College of Business and Innovation at the University of Toledo.
“Shopping on Black Friday is their motivation. It gives the consumer the excitement of the game. It’s part of the mystique, almost like gambling. Shoppers can celebrate their ability to get the best deals,” Bailey said.
He reported that they have been discussing the shopping traditions and consumer behavior of Black Friday in his Integrated Marketing Communications undergraduate class this semester at UT, as well as in his Consumer Behavior class when he teaches it.
One chapter in the Consumer Behavior course focuses on consumer culture and traditions such as Black Friday. Marketers take advantage of the rituals tied to holidays, for example Thanksgiving followed by Black Friday and the day after Christmas for post-holiday returns and extreme markdowns, Bailey said.
The shopping tradition became known as Black Friday since it was considered the day of the year that retailers went into the black. It has become much more in recent years. Retailers have traditionally offered deep discounts as the major attraction for consumers on Black Friday that has motivated many to camp outside stores waiting for the early openings.
Those store openings are occurring earlier each year with many stores opening at 5 or 6 a.m. This year, a number of retailers are opening at midnight and some at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Some stores are offering deep discounts before Thanksgiving this year which reduces the effect of the shopping ritual on Black Friday. Best Buy and WalMart are offering free shipping on everything ordered online.
“It’s one of the major marketing thrusts this year to shop online and bypass the crowds on Black Friday,” Bailey said.
Bailey, who came to the U.S. from Jamaica, was unaware of the Black Friday tradition. His first encounter with the ritual was in Missouri when he went to an outlet mall that day and found no parking places and mobs of people standing outside the stores. A security guard there explained the shopping tradition to him.
“I would like to conduct specific research on human behavior associated with the shopping ritual of Black Friday to see what actually motivates people,” Bailey said.
The French have a similar shopping situation with six-week periods during summer and winter when the first day of the sales is their equivalent to Black Friday.
The markdowns get bigger as the sales progress but the selection is not as good, Bailey said.
Locally and nationally, big box retailers are offering deep discounts and extended hours on Black Friday. Check each retailer’s website for special hours and promotions.
Banner Mattress & Furniture stores are offering 48-month, interest-free financing on all products as well as one price for any size of each model in twin, full, queen and king sizes, according to the store manager at the Alexis Road location.
Westfield Franklin Park Mall will offer early openings and late closings, beginning at 3 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 26. Old Navy, Rave Motion Pictures and Claddagh Irish Pub will be open on Thanksgiving Day.
Visit the mall’s website (Westfield.com/franklinpark) for doorbuster sales such as Aeropostale offering 50 percent off the entire store, said Sara Young, marketing director. The third annual Carol Trees promotion with WRQN radio begins on Saturday, Nov. 27 at the mall.
Some stores at The Town Center at Levis Commons plan to open early on Black Friday, but the mall has no special promotions planned.
The Shops at Fallen Timbers are closed Thanksgiving Day but will open at 6 a.m. on Nov. 26. A number of Black Friday Festivities are planned, beginning at 10:30 a.m. as listed on their website (www.theshopsatfallentimbers.com). The Children’s Place is offering 4 a.m. Black Friday specials while JC Penney is offering 300 door buster deals on Friday at the Fallen Timbers store.