Friday morning traffic was heavy along La Grange Road as some made their way to work and others sought out a post-Thanksgiving brunch.

Many businesses had just opened at 10 a.m. and were waiting to see whether Black Friday would benefit them.

“I think it’s going to be good,” said Tina Smith, a sales representative at Cleo Boutique. “Knock on wood, but it’s been good so far.”

Coffee shops and eateries were packed, but most people said they did not plan to shop today.
Jane Wagoner now lives in Davenport, Iowa but came back to La Grange, her hometown, for her 91-year-old mother’s Thanksgiving cooking.

“I don’t shop on Black Friday, ever,” Wagoner said. “But, I thought this would be the perfect time to check some of these stores. So much has changed.”

Wagoner said she’s already finished with most of her holiday shopping, having ordered most of it online. In the wake of the wake of a weak economy, she said she’s cut back her spending but not for the holidays.

“Not on Christmas,” she said. “I’m cutting back on other expenses but never on Christmas.”

But many others are, according store owners across the near west suburbs.

“They’re still buying but they just might not buy as elaborate, say, a centerpiece,” Brookfield flower shop owner Betty LeClere said.

In La Grange, Kim Shimkus, owner the upscale clothing store Utopia, said business has been slower than the store’s previous seven years.

“We’re experiencing what everyone else is experiencing,” Shimkus said.

Although December is usually a good month for the store, Shimkus said it’s not as unusually profitable as most people think it is, especially for small businesses.

“This isn’t typically a huge day for us,” Shimkus said. “Main Street America doesn’t thrive on Black Friday.”