Walmart Pushes Back Black Friday Opening in Mass

The retail giant has already released its Black Friday sale circular online.

Shoppers in Massachusetts join Rhode Island and have to wait until after Thanksgiving to take advantage of Black Friday sales at retail giant Walmart. While Walmart locations across the rest of the country will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Massachusetts and Rhode Island’s Blue Laws prohibit the store to open that early in those two states. Instead, Walmart will open at 1 a.m., which is also the time many other retailers, including Target, plan to open for business on Black Friday.  Shoppers don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to find out about the Black Friday sales at Walmart. The company already has released its circular for the sale. For more ads, check out this site called Black Friday Ads. The sales for a number of retailers are …

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IMAGE GALLERY: Patch the Reindeer and his Fans

Patch the Reindeer (PTR) met some fans this weekend as he hopped the Holiday Trolley.

Patch the Reindeer had never been to Northborough before. And he'd never ridden a trolley. Not one to be fearful, folks were more than helpful with Patch, helping him find his way around. He made a lot of friends along the way. Check out the Patch Reindeer photo gallery. Have shots you want to add to our Holiday Trolley gallery? Please do!

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Shop Local: Holiday Gift Series, Part I

Each week until Christmas, Northborough Patch will let you know about some items you can pick up locally that might just do the trick under the tree.

Have an Epiphany...in a box: Epiphany Children's Boutique is offering specialty gift boxes for a variety of ages. The "Angel Face" gift box is geared for the newborn boy or girl. For girls six to 24 months, there's a "Little Darling Bundle" and for the boys that same age, there's a "Little Man Bundle. Consierge serve, too, is offered (as it is all year). Email, message, stop in or call the store, and they'll do the shopping for you based on your suggestions and ideas (for sizes 2T through 6). They'll have the gift box ready at the store. The most meaningful gifts are homemade. Well, sometimes. You've got your hands on this one before it hits the kiln, as PYOP Studio has more than 300 styles of pottery that people can come in and paint. …

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Local Lens

Say Cheese, Reindeer

Wegmans employee decks out in reindeer gear for the season.

Laurie Wilken, Grafton resident who works in the cheese department at Wegmans, dished out samples to the hungry crowds this weekend. She's a self-declared "cheesemonger."

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The Exchange Offers Deals Small Business Saturday Weekend

The Exchange, a high-end boutique, has the deals for your shopping pleasure.

This past summer, Lynsay Whitney and her mother Sue celebrated the first anniversary of their store The Exchange Boutique and Consigment, a consignment boutique specializing in new and nearly new clothing and accessories in pristine condition. They are located at 19 Blake St. in Northborough, behind the old Town Hall. As part of Black Friday, Thanksgiving weekend and Small Business Saturday, the Exchange is taking part in the deal-giving, offering a storewide sale of 20 percent off any regular-priced items on designer, high-end and name brand clothing and accessories on all three days. 

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Small Business Saturday is Approaching: What Are the Best in Town?

Give us your recommendations for visits we should make to small businesses based in Northborough. FedEX, too, is giving away gift cards to go shopping.

The Better Business Bureau reminds us that Saturday, Nov. 26, is Small Business Saturday. Resting eagerly between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it is a chance, and effort, to urge consumers to shop local, and support those non-chain shops that dot our neighborhoods. Northborough, of course, has many. We're asking you, our readers, which shops you plan to patronize, and suggestions for us to visit. Northborough Patch plans to do a series of features on these fine businesses throughout town to let the shoppers know about them. The Better Business Bureau, as reported in a press release, is teaming up with American Express OPEN to spread the word on why small businesses "are so awesome." For the second year in a row, American Express OPEN has…

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Famous Footwear Stepped Into Northborough Crossing

Famous Footwear became the next to open, in grand fashion, this past weekend at Northborough Crossing.

Stores are unfolding like an accordion up at the new Northborough Crossing shops, located at the corner of Routes 9 and 20. This weekend, Famous Footwear held its grand opening festivities at the new location. As part of the festivities, store customers had the chance to participate in "Shoe Crazy" shopping sprees to win free shoes and other in-store promotions and discounts. Famous Footwear is offering 20 percent off now through Sat., Oct. 15 in-store and online, for more information visit www.famousfootwear.com. 

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This Weekend's Tax Free - Are You Spending?

The state declared it a tax-free holiday weekend. Does that send you to the stores?

Submitted by The Massachusetts House of Representatives House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in approving legislation that would allow a state sales tax holiday on Aug. 13 and 14of this year to encourage consumers to shop at local businesses across the state. “With folks across the Commonwealth continuing to struggle through the economic downturn, the sales tax holiday will provide relief to consumers while supporting local merchants,” Speaker DeLeo said. “The House has once again voted to stimulate local businesses which keep jobs in Massachusetts.” “Even at a cost, this serves as an economic stimulus for both consumers and retailers,” said Representative Joseph F. Wagner, House…

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