Is Black Friday canceled this year?
Black Friday has become well-known for its long lines and packed stores, which could be seen as problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Gunnar Rathbun of AP Images
Kiss 2020 Black Friday in-store door-busters goodbye. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the hottest deals this holiday shopping season will only be available online in order to reduce crowds and to eliminate the need to rush into a store.
Normal Black Friday operations would include stores staying open on Thanksgiving and starting their deals a few hours early, but that is not the case this year. Here are some noteworthy stores whose doors will be closed on Thanksgiving: Walmart, Target, Kohl's, JCPenney, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Ulta and many more.
Not all hope is lost though. Although there will not necessarily be a Black Friday, stores will still have sales that are starting earlier than in past years and lasting longer to spread out demand in a season retailers say is unlike any other they have experienced. Target and Macy’s for example are starting their Black Friday deals early in October to cut back on crowds, and there may still be others who will decide to follow this trend. Of course, most stores will also be doing online deals for the most part to help the congestion of shoppers.
If you plan to shop in-person, here is an idea of what it will look like: There will be stickers throughout the stores with reminders to socially distance.
Some stores might have better deals than in previous years to try and make up for the hit they took during quarantine. Planning ahead and being quick to add big ticket items to your cart may help the shopping process move smoother.
In past years, Black Friday shoppers would often brave the Duluth weather to get to the in-store deals. in Photo courtesy of Clint Austin for the Duluth News Tribune
The official Cyber Monday date is Nov. 30, but retailers in the United States have routinely launched deals a few hours early, starting on Sunday. So you'll want to keep your phone on and laptop open to scoop up the first round.Cyber Monday U.S. retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Target and Best Buy have in the past been worried about shipping delays for people who waited until December to receive their packages. Well, that's going to be even more of an issue in 2020, where problems are becoming normal.
The Cyber Monday versus Black Friday comparison isn't new, as readers often ask "Should I wait until Cyber Monday?" when contemplating a purchase. The answer is a complicated, "Well, it depends." Cyber Monday 2020 won't be any different.
Cyber Monday advice? Buy into any good deal ahead of Cyber Monday because it can sell out. Most U.S. retailers have return policies, so if you snag an item on Black Friday and you do, in fact, see it for less on Cyber Monday, you can just cancel or return your original order. What you can't do is go back in time and buy that Black Friday item on Cyber Monday if it's sold out.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention classified “shopping at crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving” as a higher-risk activity to avoid. In guidance issued ahead of the fall holidays, the CDC also suggested more online shopping and less in-store. The official recommendation for shopping in stores from the CDC is to “wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household,” and to disinfect when necessary.