Shaking off the post-Thanksgiving feast torpor, lines of eager discount shoppers will begin to form at area big box stores on Thursday afternoon as national forecasts predict a rosy Black Friday for retailers.

Some small business owners in downtown Brunswick, however, are taking a different tact and pushing back on the commercial event that some say has overshadowed a holiday dedicated to giving thanks.

“On Black Friday we celebrate with Customer Appreciation Day,” said Lauren Maiocco Murray, owner of Estilo, a clothing consignment store on Pleasant Street.

“We’re getting Frosty’s donuts for people this year and we wrap up a bunch of little surprise gifts that we put in people’s bags as presents,” said Murray. “It’s a busy day for us, but more than that it’s just a really fun day — I love it.”

Murray said there will be tables set up with special holiday deals, such as Christmas

But when asked about opening on Thursday or at midnight of Friday — as has become typical for some retailers on Black Friday — Murray said, “No, that’s crazy.”

According to the National Retail Federation, sales in November and December are expected to rise 4.1 percent — the greatest increase since 2011. Last year, Thanksgiving Day store openings were attended by 45 million shoppers — 10 million more than the previous year.

John Faulkner, owner of Nest, said Black Friday is a good day for his home decor and gift store located on Maine Street — but not the biggest day of the year.

“We work hard all year and we plan to have a fair amount of our investment sitting on the shelves,” for Black Friday said Faulkner. “But I have no expectation of huge, huge days, and I don’t think there needs to be.

“We need good weather, we need fair economic times — that’s what keeps us going from year to year,” he said. “Every individual should have a sense of priority in this world and would be nice if corporate America would allow us to do that.”

Nest will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and open during regular business hours on Black Friday.

“I think Thanksgiving is sacred,” said Faulkner. “People will be having family time and enjoying themselves and maybe they will get a little shopping done, but I don’t think it has to be shop, shop, shop.”

For some downtown businesses, the focus has shifted to Small Business Saturday, sponsored locally this year by the Brunswick Downtown Association, which falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

“Overall, we’re up from last year and the year before, so we’re happy with where we are,” said Indrani Dennen, owner of Indrani’s of Brunswick, a women’s clothing, import and gift store located in the Tontine Mall.

“We don’t want to get caught up in Black Friday because we can’t compete with Best Buy, Walmart, all those places,” said Dennen, who is participating in Small Business Saturday.

“Personally I don’t want to get caught up in the hype because I think it takes a lot away from the day before,” said Dennen. “Quite frankly, for us it’s just a social day. We don’t push sales, we keep it low key, and we get a lot of people from out of town who like to stop by catch up.

“Kids who grew up here and moved away, they come back into the store and say ‘I used to come in here all the time when I was little,’” she said. “There’s a sort of nostalgia to it.”

Indrani’s will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, said Dennen, and open during regular business hours on Black Friday.

“If it’s a good day we’re happy to stay late,” said Dennen, “but as far as opening at 7 a.m. before your grandmother gets out of bed — no, I don’t have any interest in that whatsoever.”

At Wyler’s and Local Market, a boutique with a walkthrough to a gourmet food and and kitchen wares shop jointly owned by Sylvia Wyler and Sharon Smiley, Black Friday has been overshadowed by a roster of events and deals on Small Business Saturday.

“It’s a big day for us,” said Smiley of Black Friday, “but the next day after is bigger.”

Saturday will host a daylong tasting event, said Smiley, featuring small batch foods from Local’s kitchen, jams, cookies and crackers, cheese and holiday fare. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Local will also host a wine tasting event.

“We’ll be giving away some promotion items and will be offering a 10 percent discount on purchases of $50 or more,” said Smiley, “but it’s more of a neighborhood event than an event about big discounts.

Black Friday sales are typically good at Wyler’s and Local, Smiley said, but noted, “there’s no way as a small town retailer that we can compete with the discounts happening at big box stores.”

Wyler’s and Local will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and open during regular business hours on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

“We really have a staff that works very hard,” said Smiley, “so when there is a holiday we like to give them the opportunity to enjoy it with their family and their friends.”

For more information about Small Business Saturday events in downtown Brunswick visit the Brunswick Downtown Association webpage at www.brunswickdowntown.o rg.

rgargiulo@timesrecord.com