Five Stores Participate in Ladies Nite Out in Smithville

The holiday shopping season does strange things to people. At a time of year reserved for thinking of others, people flock to malls in droves, including in the middle of the night after a heavy turkey dinner, and trample anyone who gets in their way in a quest for the perfect material object to tell that special someone “I love you.”

It’s called Black Friday for a reason, and it’s just over a week away.

In preparation for a night of heinous actions against your fellow consumer, Donna Reigel, owner of in , came up with the idea for Ladies Nite Out.

“It’s a night when people come with their sisters, friends and moms, a night of relaxation before the hectic holiday season,” Reigel said.

This year, Ladies Nite Out was held on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and it had the most businesses it has ever had participating. Reigel began the tradition when she first brought her store to Smithville three years ago.

She staged the event solo the first year, added one other store last year, and on Wednesday night, the event had grown to five total stores participating.

Those stores, which joined the event at the invitation of Reigel, included one new store in Butterflies and Friends; one store under new ownership in and two longstanding stores in the , which has been around for eight years, and , which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in May.

“It offers us the opportunity to get together,” said Chrissy Florio, whose husband, James, owns Butterflies and Friends, which opened in December. “It’s a chance to get some early bargains. It’s for people who need a break from work, they can come here and talk and laugh and get some shopping done. It’s every woman’s dream."

Butterflies and Friends sells high-end art, and on Wednesday night, customers had the opportunity to purchase paintings that cost as much as $500 for 30 percent off.

Each store was running sales and accepting coupons for discounts, but only Angel Oasis was offering the chance to relax with a 15-minute massage from a massage expert, Jane Sacco.

“It gives you a chance to have some alone time,” Angel Oasis owner Lisa Wolff said. “The ladies can come in here and relax.”

It also serves as a reminder that Smithville exists before the consumer decides to spend the last four or five hours of Thanksgiving night waiting outside a chain store to get the chance to buy something for their family.

“You come into a shop here and someone is always going to help you,” Wolff said. “You go into a bigger store and it’s hard to find anyone at all, let alone someone to help you.”

“People can start shopping early and we can remind them Smithville is here, too,” said Anne Hafner, owner of the Chic Shoppe.

“All the merchants work hard and promote shopping locally,” said Carol Allgeyer, who bought Earth-N-Lace Pottery in August, after the store had been open for two years. “Our goal is to keep the dollars in the community. If you spend in the community, it does come back to you.”

Allgeyer offered customers the chance to meet Andrea Johns, the artist who takes care of all her hand-painted wares.

“She can answer the questions that the merchant can’t,” Allgeyer said. “Her work is fabulous and I’m fortunate to have her in my store.”

Only Evermore participated in the event in the past, but all four newcomers were excited to participate given the success Ladies Nite Out has had in the past, when Evermore was packed wall-to-wall with 25 people. This year, Evermore offered complimentary herbal lavender treatments.

Wednesday night was not an ideal time for this year’s event, as it rained all day and returned at night, but some stores did see a steady flow of customers.

The stores participating in Ladies Nite Out stayed open longer than they normally would, as the event ran from 6-9 p.m. Stores in Smithville generally close around 6 p.m. Each store served up a platter of food.

This event gave store owners the chance to start getting used to their holiday hours, and show off some of their merchandise ahead of Small Business Saturday, which comes the day after Black Friday, Nov. 27 this year.

Every business that participated is also run by females, and although Reigel would like to see the event grow, she would like to see the emphasis remain on female-run businesses.

“It’s a chance to socialize and network, and just pull together really nice,” said Reigel, who has held Ladies Nite every year since she first brought her store to Smithville three years ago.

It’s also, of course a chance to bring customers to Smithville and get a few extra sales in before the holiday rush. If enough people came out for this event, perhaps they will keep Smithville in mind once the shopping season begins.

And if not, there’s always Hospitality Night on Dec. 3, which involves every store in the village.