Black Friday brought the usual raucous crowds flocking to Walmart and other big box retailers over the Thanksgiving weekend, but in Andalusia the response to the biggest shopping day of the year was varied.

“It was actually pretty good for us Friday,” Pink Peppers employee Jordan McGhee said. “From the time we opened the doors that morning, to the time we closed that afternoon, it was so busy. We appreciated the business so much.”

Fellow Pink Peppers employee Annie Hobbie said the store also enjoyed a profitable Small Business Saturday.

“It was a good Saturday for us,” Hobbie said. “The sales increased. We had some items marked down. We pretty much stayed busy all day. There was a constant crowd.”

At Moore & Moore Tires, owner Keeny Moore said things weren’t quite as busy.

“It was kind of slow,” Moore said. “Everybody’s at Walmart.”

Moore said a smaller-than-normal crowd isn’t unusual for his business this time of year, as people are more interested in Christmas gifts than practical purchases.

“As a rule, Black Friday and the Saturday after aren’t as busy,” he said. “It starts slowing down through December.”

At Ward & Co., owner Mike Ward said things were busier than normal on both days, but had tapered off by time for Saturday afternoon’s Iron Bowl.

“Friday was great,” Ward said. “Especially Friday afternoon. Saturday was really good. But, things slowed way down by the time the game started.”