While businesses in other Bay Area cities enjoyed a one-day respite from the economic downturn on Black Friday, Berkeley merchants reported generally lackluster sales heading into the holiday season.

Following Thanksgiving Day each year, businesses roll out discounts and extend their hours in anticipation of Black Friday, which is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.

It is also the day many businesses expect to finally turn a profit for the year from the big bucks that the perennially large crowds of shoppers bring.

However, Berkeley businesses-many of which are uniquely independent compared to chain stores in neighboring cities-did not draw in large crowds or profits.

Candice Littlefield, store manager of Adidas on Telegraph Avenue, stressed that Black Friday is not as profitable locally because Berkeley lacks the corporate chains that typically draw holiday shoppers.

"We did a very regular day of sales," she said. Though the store sported discounts and an in-house DJ, sales were up only slightly on Friday.

Even businesses that had discounts as large as 50 percent, including Tag Pottery and Fountains on Gilman Street, failed to entice customers to buy more.

Jenie McKay, an employee at Tag Pottery, said that sales were "scary slow" on Friday.

Some stores advertised for Black Friday, hoping to alleviate losses from the economic downturn, but they were still down from last year and missed sales goals.

"Last year was way more busy," said Molly Hardon, an employee at Shiekh, a shoe store on Telegraph.

Other shops chose not to exert additional effort to promote Black Friday because it occurs at a time when many students, who form a large customer base in the college town, have gone home for the break.

"We didn't have any sales (promotions)," said Sariya Dixon, assistant manager at the American Apparel store for men, where sales decreased slightly the day after Thanksgiving. "Compared to a normal Friday, it was down."

Although chain stores neighboring Berkeley, including Target in Albany, did see an increase in sales, they struggled to meet the profit margins seen in past years.

"Our store did well (but business was) slower than expected," said Kisa Lew, a manager at Target. She said that the store had not met projected sales forecasts during the past few months.

In Berkeley, the stores that have weathered the economic turmoil the best have been secondhand shops.

Many thrift stores have enjoyed strong sales as the economy floundered and consumers looked for cheaper options.

"Sales in the year have been better," said Mallory Mitchell, assistant manager at Buffalo Exchange on Telegraph.

She said the store has both bought and sold more clothes in the past few months because customers are more thrifty.

"We're one of those stores that actually can do better," she said.

In Berkeley, with its mom-and-pop boutiques and college town atmosphere, the one-day shopping event did not stand out significantly from other business days, according to various merchants.

"Black Friday for Berkeley is just a regular old Friday," Littlefield said.

Tags: BUSINESS, BUY LOCAL BERKELEY