What's Happening in Champaign, IL…

Rather than stocking up and bracing for an onslaught of Black Friday customers, one Champaign company followed a different path by deciding to close its doors instead.

Champaign Cycle's Pete Davis said the shop's staff had decided to forgo the annual madness, and instead do what they enjoy most—they got outside and took a bike ride, despite temperatures near freezing and strong winds.

In doing this, they followed the example of Recreation Equipment, Inc. (REI), which said back in October that it intended to close all its stores the day after Thanksgiving, in order to allow its employees to spend the day outside.

Alex Hageman-Davis, who is a co-owner of the store, said closing on Black Friday was the first time Champaign Cycle has done something like this. Staff members there love to ride, so they decided to get their bikes out and enjoy the day. They opened the ride to anyone who cared to participate, good weather or bad.

Historically, small businesses have rarely benefited from Black Friday, but even more importantly, closing allows owners and employees to enjoy the holiday. Hageman-Davis hopes to see the trend toward closing on Thanksgiving and Black Friday grow, noting that people can shop any day, but the holidays come only once a year.

Champaign Cycle could create a banner to hang above the store, playing on the closure and encouraging people to start shopping again.