Thursday, November 22, 2012
Prep for the madness with help from Patch. We've got information on promotions at local malls, deals at Big Box retailers and helpful advice for navigating the shopping madness.
The holiday shopping season officially kicks off this Thanksgiving weekend. Are you ready? Some will hit the stores only hours after stuffing themselves with turkey on Thanksgiving night. While others will take the more traditional route and set their alarms for the early-morning Black Friday sales. There will also be deals to be had around town for Small Business Saturday — which is this Saturday and meant to highlight the many local businesses as an option for holiday shopping. And if you aren't all "shopped" out, Cyber Monday will kick of next week's work week. We have a round up of articles below that should help you navigate this year's shopping frenzy and hopefully, even help you snag a great deal.
Friday, November 9, 2012
The western bypass project got underway in September and is expected to be completed in summer 2014.
Like" Algonquin-LITH Patch on Facebook | Get "Patched" in with our newsletter | Start a blog Running into Café Firefly in downtown Algonquin for a quick cup of coffee in the morning still is as easy as ever. But actually getting to the café, and then getting to work on time afterwards, is becoming a little more difficult for motorists now that construction on the western bypass project around downtown Algonquin has begun. Café Firefly owner Wade Merritt said he noticed a decrease in his usual morning customers about a week after the construction in the area started. He can’t say for sure if the construction is causing the drop in business, but that’s what he thinks. “It appears that during the morning rush hour, when people are getting …
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 26.
This year’s Small Business Saturday is Nov. 26 and is meant to promote small businesses in communities. It's the second year for Small Business Saturday, and some businesses in Lake in the Hills will be running deals, specials and sales with the hopes of drawing customers in over the busy shopping weekend. Below, we've listed a couple of businesses that will be offering specials on Nov. 26. If you own a small business or home business that will be offering deals this Saturday, let the community know by commenting below. Funky Munky, 323 N. Randall Road, Lake in the Hills Sprint/Nextel has several locations throughout the area and is offering deals for small businesses Saturday, said Marc Schlaiss, a Sprint business representative for Lake …
Set for Saturday, Nov. 26, the American Express campaign promotes local, brick and mortar businesses.
Some businesses earn the majority of their profits during the holiday shopping season, and in a struggling economy, those dollars are even more important. American Express has created a campaign specifically designed to help small, local brick-and-mortar enterprises draw more shoppers. "Small Business Saturday" is scheduled Nov. 26, and area shops including Bella's Short Stacks in Algonquin are promoting the program. Although many area businesses don't know what it is, they may just reap benefits from it anyway. "I had to Google it to find out what it was," said Russell Farnum, Algonquin’s community development director. "We're really not doing anything with that because it would be difficult to promote one local business over another." …
Friday, November 25, 2011
Check out some of these deals from local businesses in the area.
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
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Friday, November 25, 2011
Big-box stores aren't the only businesses offering Black Friday deals this holiday season. Check out some of these local businesses offering shopping opportunities throughout the area. Barrington Spend $50 in shoes or boots get $50 in gift certificates from Young Tootsies Children's Shoes in the Ice House Mall. The deal is good through 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Customers who spend $75 you are also eligible for $100 gift certificate drawing that is good for all stores there. Learning Express Toys is offering 20 percent off everything through Nov. 28. Participating Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce businesses are offering $12 for a $25 gift certificate. Barrington Home Shoppe is offering 20 percent off almost everything in the store from 8…
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Skip the fuss of serving a Thanksgiving meal and check out one of these area restaurants. Let us know in the comments section below if there is a restaurant we missed that will be open this Thanksgiving.
It takes four to five days to safely thaw a 16 to 20-pound Thanksgiving turkey in the refrigerator — eight to 10 hours if you choose to thaw in cold water. And between 4 hours and 15 minutes and 4 hours and 45 minutes is suggested for cooking an 18 to 20-pound bird, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's "Let's Talk Turkey" consumer guide to safely cooking a Thanksgiving turkey. For those cooking at home, this handy calculator can help you decide how much turkey you should plan on making. And for those who preferring to skip the hassle of Thanksgiving meal preparations and have someone else do the work, here are five area restaurants that will be open this Thanksgiving: Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. What’s available: A …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
For the second year in row, Lifeline Christian Church will hold its “More Than a Meal” Thanksgiving event at Brunswick Zone XL in Algonquin.
As soon as Lifeline Christian Church made Algonquin its home in October 2010, pastor Dave Rudin set out to identify the community’s needs. He quickly was directed to Patty Briones, assistant homeless liaison for District 300. After learning the staggering numbers of homeless students in the district, Rudin and other members of Lifeline had the idea to host a Thanksgiving meal for those families in need. “Right here, within a five-mile radius, there are people who are really struggling,” Rudin said. “So many families are just a paycheck away from real danger. We want to add value and share hope in the community, and this event was a tangible way to do that.” The nondenominational Christian church, which holds weekly services at Algonquin…
Friday, December 24, 2010
For Funky Things, Morkes Chocolates and Smooch Boutique, coming up with a strategy to keep sales alive was key.
Although Algonquin retailers said holiday sales seemed to be slightly stronger than last year's, it seemed like every merchant had its own strategy for keeping sales in the black this year. For Funky Things, the secret to success this holiday season was having a wide variety of merchandise to attract new customers and to keep the returning customers coming back for more. "We've had a consistent business," said Becky Barrus, owner of Funky Things. "We have no room for disappointment." While Funky Things carries original design t-shirts, purses, Lucky Beads, and jewelry, it also sells unusual gift items like bubble umbrellas, squirrel underpants and bacon wallets. Barrus noted that what's selling this year has shifted from last year. In 2009…
Linda Bachar
12:18 pm on Saturday, November 26, 2011
Be sure to shop State Street Market Shops in Elgin! 35 small gift, collectible,antique shops under one roof! Many shops have huge sales going on right now! 701 N State Street, Rt 31, Elgin. Saturday 10 to 5, Sunday 11 to 5 and weekdays 10 to 8 till Christmas. more ›