The inside of Used Kids Records, with their collection ranging from Rock to Soul. Used Kids Records is located at 2500 Summit St. Credit: Audrey Coleman | Lantern Reporter
For many Americans, Black Friday has become a key shopping event — and though it’s not considered an official holiday, some consumers treat it as such.
The wild crowds of the early 2000s — which were typically seen in major retailers like Best Buy — have subsided in recent years, but with online shopping growing increasingly prevalent, Black Friday remains a significant shopping day for businesses big and small.
In Columbus, small businesses including FERA, Heat Archive and Used Kids Records are preparing for an influx of Black Friday shoppers, especially with students either staying in town for Thanksgiving break or returning early for the highly anticipated Ohio State-Michigan football game. For these local retailers, the day offers a chance to draw in customers and differentiate themselves from larger chain stores.
Emily Harper is a manager at FERA, a boutique located at 682 N. High St. that focuses on ethically and sustainably produced designer clothing. She said the shop — which offers brands like Gramicci, Japan Blue and Perfect White Tee — will directly participate in Black Friday, offering its own set of sales that start Friday and bleed into “Small Business Saturday.”
Harper said FERA will run a 25% sale storewide, excluding accessories, compared to last year’s sale of just 20% off.
“I think Black Fridays are really fun, especially as a smaller business, just because it feels a little bit more welcoming, and we don’t see a ton of people,” Harper said. “Black Friday, everybody seems to be in a good mood, and they’re just hanging out, especially in the Short North. I think it differs from bigger companies; it’s not as stressful for us, everybody just having a good time and enjoying everybody’s presence.”
Having worked during three Black Fridays at FERA, Harper said she’s no stranger to what the day will look like or what kind of crowds the store will garner.
“It’s a lot of parents that are in town visiting,” Harper said. “[They’ll] come in with their kids and hang out, do some early Christmas shopping or holiday shopping. It’s the day before the Michigan game too, so a lot of people will pop in from out of town.”
Another local shop, Heat Archive, sits closer to campus at 1593 N. High St. Owner Andrew Kounouzvelis said the upscale clothing and shoe resale store curates high-end brands like Jordan, Gucci and Balenciaga.
In addition, Kounouzvelis said Black Friday is an excellent opportunity to implement discounts and sell more products, especially considering Heat Archives’ products are on the expensive side.
Kounouzvelis said Heat Archive will have a buy-one-get-one-25%-off deal for the whole store, as well as a “$100 rack” that was well-received last year.
The inside of Heat Archive, showcasing some of the items that will be available on Friday. Heat Archive is located at 1593 N High St. Credit: Audrey Coleman | Lantern Reporter
“It was more or less just that, just being able to support the community in ways that we would have liked to shop ourselves growing up,” Kounouzvelis said.
Heat Archive was founded in July 2019 to bring trendy streetwear to Columbus, with a focus on college students due to its close proximity to Ohio State’s campus, Kounouzvelis said.
“Growing up, there was really nowhere inspiring to shop,” Kounouzvelissaid. “We saw stores like Round Two and Urban Necessities, so we really wanted to bring something like that to Columbus.”
Round Two and Urban Necessities are streetwear stores like Heat Archive, but neither have any locations local to Columbus, according to their respective websites.
Kounouzvelis said Heat Archive offers a distinct take on Black Friday, giving shoppers two different options for when they begin their shopping experience.
“We’ve done a midnight Black Friday since we opened, which is how I like to do it,” Kounouzvelis said. “We’ll be open from midnight to around 2 [a.m.], and then we’ll reopen again during normal business hours.”
Those less interested in clothing can visit Used Kids Records, which is situated at 2500 Summit St. Greg Hall, the shop’s owner, said the record store has a collection ranging from classic finds to new releases, including new soundtracks and special edition vinyl.
“A few days ago, we had a listening party for this new movie, ‘Wicked,’” Hall said. “That seemed to be a pretty big deal.”
The store also carries a wide variety of prominent artists, like pop star Sabrina Carpenter and country singer Zach Bryan, as well as soundtracks for movies like “Wicked” and “Challengers.”
Used Kid Records originally opened its doors in 1986, but was purchased by Hall in 2014. Hall said since then, he has seen the shop become a staple in Columbus’ community, attracting both new collectors and longtime vinyl enthusiasts.
“There’s always new young people or new old people coming in saying things like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know records were back again,’” Hall said. “There’s a big spread of people who are new to it or who have been in it for a while.”
Hall said though Used Kid Records won’t offer an overarching deal, like “20% off the entire store,” there will be various markdowns and discounts in the days leading up to Friday.
Hall said Used Kids Records also participates in the official Record Store Day Black Friday, which offers exclusive vinyl that local stores can sell.
On top of its popular albums, books and other items, Hall said Used Kids Records will have Record Store Day exclusives. According to Record Store Day’s website, this year’s special releases come from artists including Billie Eilish, Whitney Houston, Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
“It’ll be fresh stuff that we just have too much of,” Hall said. “A couple of days ago, we discounted a bunch of our books to $1 or seven for $5, and other sales like that.”
Hall said the shop will open 8 a.m. Friday, and shoppers should expect a sizable crowd.
Harper said though Black Friday is often centered around deals and checking off holiday shopping lists, it can hold much greater significance for smaller businesses, for which the day represents more than just discounted prices.
“I think it makes everyone feel a bit closer-knit to our community,” Harper said. “It just makes us remember that we are in Columbus, and there are still people out there who love to support smaller businesses.”
Kounouzvelis said he shares a similar sentiment, particularly when it comes to operating in a city as large as Columbus.
“Just making more clients happy,” Kounouzvelis said. “That’s really what we’re big on, is building community, remembering where we came from and providing services that we wish we had growing up.”
Ultimately, Hall said the goal is not just to attract customers on Black Friday, but to continue introducing the store to a wider audience within the Columbus community throughout the entirety of the year.
“The bottom line is that it’s not just looking to gain something over one particular day,” Hall said. “It’s a blip on the radar; it’s more that there’s good music 365 days a year, and we can hope that they’d share their experiences in the store with their friends and keep expanding across the community.”
