- December 13, 2025
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Black Friday looked very different for Monkee's of Sarasota. The St. Armands Circle boutique had just reopened after hurricanes Milton and Helene, right in time for the national shopping extravaganza.
Owner Lori Harpsoe said the shop offered Black Friday pink-ribbon deals and storewide discounts, as did other St. Armands Key businesses.
"We have some other fun specials, like with the purchase of $300 or more, you get a free sweater," she said, which was fitting for the chilly shopping day.
Shoppers did make their way around St. Armands Circle the morning of Nov. 28, but few carried piles and piles of shopping bags on their strolls.
"Last year was actually better for us, surprisingly," she said. "You would think it would be the other way around."
Harpsoe said she was grateful to those who stopped in to peruse their lines of upscale yet fun clothing. She said the shop will be joining other St. Armands Circle businesses holding open houses at the upcoming tree lighting.
Rachel Burns with the St. Armands Circle Association said she heard from several area businesses that it was a decent sales day, but perhaps not what they hoped to see.
“People were certainly happy to come back out to the Circle this year, now that we’ve reopened, to see how beautiful it’s looking,” she said.
She noted there are still plenty of opportunities to get holiday shopping done with local businesses, especially at the upcoming lighting of the 60-foot Christmas tree on Dec. 5 at St. Armands Circle.
Looking ahead to the new year, Burns said shop owners have said they’re simply looking forward to their status quo after managing the challenges of hurricane recovery last year.
"We're all hoping for the return of a more normal season, and seeing everyone return and enjoy everything the Circle has to offer," Burns said.
Nationally, AP News reports that Black Friday may not be the mega shopping event it once was but that people are still making it the biggest shopping day of the year, ringing up an estimated $976 billion last year on holiday spending.
St. Armands Circle has seen some changes since the last Black Friday, including the recent reopening of the retail Tommy Bahama location at 465 John Ringling Blvd.
Taylor and Sydney Nichols, owners of Le Shop, said even if Black Friday was fairly quiet, they have been keeping plenty busy since officially opening several weeks ago. The new business on the Circle specializes in high-quality brews and wine.
The Nichols said business has been booming since they opened, and they're happy to give shoppers a caffeine boost for checking out the local shops.
The next shopping deal patrons can look forward to on St. Armands Circle is the Dec. 18 "Circle the Date." Participating restaurants and shops offer special promotions and deals on the third Thursday of the month. Visit the St. Armands Circle page on Facebook for more.
