Bracing for Black Friday: Stores and shoppers plot strategies for busy day

It isn't just shoppers who plot out their Black Friday strategies days in advance. Many store owners have been gearing up for this day for more than a month.

Barry Donovan, a manager with JCPenney in Cedar Rapids, said the 2400 Edgewood Road SW store has been preparing since mid-October.

The biggest need is always more staff, he said.

'The number one thing to get ready for Black Friday is to hire replenishment people so they're fully trained how to stock, how to do truck and also how to help with registers and customer service,' Donovan said. 'We need more bodies. We have all hands on deck' today.

Donovan, who has 35 years of experience in the business, said the store hired about 70 people leading up to Black Friday to add to the store's normal staff of about 90. The large majority of the new hires will stay on through the end of the year.

'We continue to hire after Black Friday,' he said. 'You always have a little bit of fallout. You don't want to be short staffed going into the holidays.'

Stocking inventory is another major task, Donovan said, noting that everything from doorbuster items — new merchandise like remote-controlled drones and old standbys like Nike shoes — to sacks, boxes and even pens for the register counters get stocked for the big day.

It's a busy shopping day that is impossible to predict. So the store creates a few fallback plans for when items run out, he said.

'We plan our stackouts, we plan our racks by set sales and we have a backup plan,' he said.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, the doors opened and all that preparation was put to the test.

But while the crowds are massive and the stress level high, Donovan said Black Friday is a positive experience.

'Once we open those doors, everyone is festive. They're out there because they enjoy what they're doing,' he said. 'They know what to expect because it's been going on for years. They're always smiling and our associates, they're pumped up because this is the big day, the big finale.'

For JCPenney and big-box retailers, Black Friday is king.

But in many places, including downtown Iowa City, it's the following day — dubbed Small Business Saturday — that gets the most focus.

Sheila Davisson, owner of women's new and consignment clothing boutique stores Revival and Revival 119, at 117 and 119 E. College St., respectively. said Black Friday is always big, but Small Business Saturday has surpassed it for her.

'From straight numbers, we'll see more business on Saturday than we will on Friday,' she said.

Launched in 2011 by American Express, Small Business Saturday has been growing every year and encourages shoppers across the country to support small, local businesses.

In the spirit of community, Davisson said 5 percent of sales on one of the store's national brands during Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday will be donated to United Action for Youth.

While Black Friday conjures images of massive crowds skirmishing over the latest hot item, Small Business Saturday can be described as something a little more tranquil.

'People are excited and they do come down with the intention to shop, but it's a relaxed experience and it's a much more social experience,' Davisson said. 'It's definitely more laid back.'