By Kay Harris
The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the top five biggest shopping days of the year, with stores opening in the wee hours of the morning for bargain hunters, many of whom wouldn’t miss that adrenaline rush of finding the perfect bargain for anything in the world.
Shoppers armed with Thanksgiving day flyers and coupons, lists of what they have to have, and a game plan mapped out of what stores to be at when will no doubt stand in line again this year, despite the sluggish economy.
In recent years, Valdosta has seen an influx of people from other cities, such as Tallahassee, who despite our local version of long lines, think that the waits here are far shorter than in bigger metro areas.
Stores have gotten in the spirit of the holidays early with bargains galore already as they try and make up for some of the losses retailers faced early in the year. This year, the outlook is much brighter for both stores and customers as high ticket items like big screen Hi-Def TV’s and laptop computers can be bought for a fraction of what they were just a short time ago.
So, if you have the shopping bug next Friday, get up and get out very very early to find the best bargains. You might be able to finish your entire Christmas wish list all in one day!
Not too late to sign up for the parade
The annual Greater Valdosta Community Christmas Parade is right around the corner and it’s not too late to sign your business or organization up to participate in the event, themed “Christmas Lights on Parade.”
The parade is always a ton of fun, features lots of really interesting and well done floats, and is an entertaining evening of family fun following a day of activities in downtown Valdosta at the WinterFest.
If you are interested in participating, contact the Ossipe Temple No. 65 at P.O. Box 1943 or call Bob Cosby at (229) 269-1681.
Business Roundup
Stephenson’s Jewelers has reopened in downtown Valdosta at 128 and 130 N. Patterson, where the store was located originally in 1964. According to the owner, the store has been closed for a while, as they spent some time running a store in St. Simons, but now they’ve come back, renovated and added more space, and added a flower business as well as gift items. And of course they still sell vintage and new jewelry and do repairs on watches, etc.
A couple of other new openings this week: Carol’s Country Club on Bemiss Road, a BYOB bar with live entertainment and the Creekside Tavern, behind Only Options off Gornto Road. Creekside is open Wednesday through Friday with a happy hour, food specials, live music by the Creeksiders band every night and more.
Some exciting news this week for Fresh Beginnings. Owner Judy Hathcock will be appearing on QVC to sell the company’s fresh cookies and tins to a nationwide audience. Their slot is at 9 a.m. on Dec. 4 so make sure you tune in.
Georgia Military College, Phase II, is on its way to being completed by the end of the year. Quillian Powell Construction Co. is building a 22,000-square-foot classroom complex with a student center, learning center, science lab and lecture rooms.
There is a brand new sign at Five Points shopping center, which is getting a facelift and some new life in it. It’s great that the owners are taking an interest in revamping the property. With Pirate's Bluff under new ownership and a few other things going on around there, the area is looking up.
Unfortunately, the deal for the former Hardee’s restaurants on St. Augustine and in Lake Park has fallen through and won’t be happening now. Hopefully the restaurants’ owner can find something new and exciting to take its place.
That’s about it for this week, but have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and if there’s anything I missed, please let me know!
