More shopping downtown on Black Friday

APPLETON -
Black Friday brought bargain hunters out in force.

"It was an experience for us, it was the first time we did it," Lillian Doyle of Peshtigo said.

But if a sea of cars and wave of shoppers doesn't float your boat, Appleton's downtown businesses say they've got a lot to offer with a lot less commotion.

"I think as you go up and down the Avenue here people have different gifts that they're going to find, not just what you see at your typical big box," Laura Vartamian with Downtown Design said.

Appleton Downtown Incorporated is playing up that unique appeal in its Black Friday shopping campaign. The business group is inviting shoppers seeking the quiet, more relaxing side of the day, to enjoy "Peace and Love, not Push and Shove."

"It was nice, I mean you get the personal service and you can find people to help you," Becky Throne of Neenah said.

Shoppers also found free parking and trolley rides, lower bus fares and specials at retailers like Hey Daisy.

"Our Black Friday has been pretty busy," Sarah Rupiper with the store said. "I mean it started off like a normal day, just cause I think a lot of people went to the mall first and then headed downtown, but we've had a ton of traffic all day."

Rupiper says the push is working. She saw more customers than last year and says most view downtown, not as a mall alternative, but pleasant way to wind down.

"My mom and my grandma got up very early," Lilly Doyle-Olsen of Peshtigo said. "They went to Target and there was like a line all the way to the back."

Now, the three are taking their time browsing.

"We like peace and quieter shopping," Doyle said.

But whether its downtown or mall-ward, retailers are confident the thrill of Black Friday will bring crowds back. The free downtown trolley ran from 10 a.m. To 11 p.m. Friday, while Valley Transit fares were 50 cents.