Northfield City Administrator Tim Madagascar announced last week in his Weekly Memo that City Hall will open for business at midnight (12:01 am) on Black Friday.
"Since it’s the busiest shopping day of the year, our customers—sometimes known as citizens—are demanding that we be responsive," Madagascar said. " Northfield Target is opening at midnight and we want to be ready to serve those folks who might want to apply for a license, make a reservation, or submit an application for the council vacancy when they’re done shopping. It’s part of our mission—striving for excellence, committed to service."
On Tuesday, Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katarina Fellbore announced that their Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau office at 205 3rd St. West would open just after midnight on Black Friday as well.
"My Board of Directors thinks it’s an opportunity for us to tell the out-of-towners who will be heading to Northfield Target all the great things about shopping in Northfield," said Fellbore. "Frankly, I think that’s a stretch, since no other stores are opening at that hour. Nonetheless, we’ll be open, handing out CVB brochures and selling our line of Buy More cards that we have left over from last year."
When asked whether it might be more cost-effective for the City and the Chamber to be offering these services via their websites 24X7, both indicated that e-commerce was something they’d be adding in the next five years or so. "Online shopping is likely to catch on with the public by then and when it does, we’ll be ready for it," said Fellbore.
Hi, this is Rusty Current, Executive Director of the Northfield Downtown Drink (coffee with your friends instead of bowling alone) Corporation. We’re encouraging Northfielders to participate in our “Be Local…Be Casual” campaign this year.
As part of the campaign, we’re going with a different color theme…Blue Friday. Get up late and leisurely, contemplate the blue sky, dress in your blue jeans, maybe listen to the Jayhawks’ “Blue”…and then head downtown to start with coffee (ideally no earlier than 8:15 a.m.) at Blue Monday (or Bittersweet, or HideAway, or Quality Bakery, or Quarterback Club, or The Tavern) and then head on over to…
…Sisters Ugly, where proprietor Jenny Turek is leading Downtown Northfield, MN’s “Shop Smart..Shop Sane” campaign with a 20% off storewide sale from 10 a.m. ’til 12 p.m. and then 15% off ’til close. For more information, see: http://www.facebook.com/downtownnorthfield
Hey Rusty, thanks for chiming in. It would be a Blue Xmas without you.