Dear Neighbors,

I’m pleased to report that Black Friday shopping was a bigger financial boon than most District 1 retailers that we spoke to expected.  
 
It was short of a balance-sheet miracle, however. For about half of the respondents to our unscientific survey, Black Friday sales lagged significantly behind previous years. 
 
According to Adobe Analytics, consumers spent a record $9 billion shopping online on Black Friday, a 22 percent increase over 2019’s record $7.4 billion. Much of this is thought to be at the expense of brick-and-mortar stores, which many have been reticent to enter during the pandemic — even with face-covering and social-distancing protocols enforced. 
 
Fortunately, some relief has arrived. California has made available $500 million in reserve funds for grants to small businesses, nonprofits and cultural institutions. This includes grants of up to $25,000, and tax credits of $1,000 per qualified employee (up to $100,000). For details, see https://covid19.ca.gov/. 
 
Please support your local businesses. There has never been a time that they needed you more.

Council President Pro Tem

If you own a D1 small business and have a pandemic story you would like to share with the community, please e-mail [email protected]. 

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Black (and purple) Friday
 

Dozen-deep queues to enter stores were a common sight at Westfield UTC mall on Black Friday. 

James Wyno, store manager at Rangoni Firenze Shoes (7870 Girard Ave.) only expected half his normal Black Friday sales. 
 
"Throughout COVID, I’ve only been doing half of my business,” he said.  
 
To his delight, however, he matched last year’s numbers. 
 
"I was very happy,” he said. 

James Wyno of Rangoni Firenze Shoes

Wyno, who has managed without his usual staff of two since COVID began, cited an onslaught of personal shoppers and the online-averse. 
 
"One customer said, ‘Jim, if I come here, I want your undivided attention,' " he said. “They don’t get that on the internet. She came from far away and she probably gave me half of my sales for the day." 
 
High-end audio retailer Bang & Olufsen (7851 Girard Ave.) also reported robust sales. 
 
"For us, it was crazy busy, the busiest day I’ve ever seen since we opened this location,” said Doug Moore, business development manager for the store that opened in May 2019. “And we’re not really a Black Friday kind of store. We don’t have gigantic discounts." 

Bang & Olufsen La Jolla’s Doug Moore poses with the $20,000 Beosound Shape speaker array. 

Warwick’s bookstore (7812 Girard Ave.) hit its COVID capacity of 45 several times during the day, with customers forced to wait to enter until others exited. 
 
"It seemed like a good day,” said owner Nancy Warwick.  
 
But Warwick’s, like about half of the stores we spoke to, also said that numbers were off from previous Black Fridays. 
 
"I haven’t looked at the sales figures, but I would guess they were probably less, just because, in general, it is right now,” Warwick said. 
 
Bill White, owner of the Ascot Shop (7750 Girard Ave.) said his Black Friday sales were “way off." 
 
"But our business is way off right now,” he said. “It is what it is. We definitely have reduced sales, but we’ve reduced our overhead to match it. We’ve reduced every expense we can think of and only brought back about half of our team. That’s what keeps it going."

Natalie Aguirre, store manager at J.McLaughlin (7880 Girard Ave.) said that her store’s Black Friday sales fell short of last year’s mark but "were still stronger than I thought they would be."

Only one store we spoke to had good news to report all around. Sales at the High Sweetheart Gift Boutique (7920 Ivanhoe Ave.) were up 20 percent over last Black Friday and 10 percent on the year. 

"I had more online web sales than usual, which is good because I’m limited to having three customers in my store at a time,” said Hi Sweetheart owner Molly Rossettie, who opened the store in 2014. 
 
Rossettie said she’s able to distinguish herself from Amazon and other online vendors by providing same-day delivery to locals and gift wrapping. 
 
"Amazon will just throw a candle in a box for Mother’s Day with some bubble wrap,” she said.  

Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry represents San Diego City Council District 1, which includes the communities of Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Mesa, La Jolla, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines, and University City.