With COVID-19 hitting its ninth month in the United States and infecting millions of Americans across the country, shoppers are wondering what this will mean for Black Friday.
Retailers are dealing with the challenges of still reaching sales goals but also keeping everyone safe while shopping. They are dealt with the struggles of how to handle a holiday under these circumstances. This is something that is new to everyone and still very unknown.
Large stores like Walmart and Target have decided to spread out their Black Friday sales over the course of several weeks. This is to ensure safety for both employees and shoppers.
Features like contactless payments, shopping reservations and curbside pickup will be offered at stores around the country.
Walmart stated that health officials will be stationed at all entrances to ensure people are following safety protocol and wearing masks.
Macy’s is also offering a same-day delivery deal through DoorDash. While their stores will still be open they want everyone to feel safe and do what is most comfortable for them.
Mel Bratun, senior human resources student, is the manager at Love Obsessed in the King of Prussia Mall. Unfortunately, this small boutique is closing its doors this week due to the lack of sales that have come from this pandemic. Bratun stated that the negative of working in a mall is you have to follow the mall hours and it came to a point where “we were spending more money on payroll than we were profit wise.”
Although Bratun will not be working in the King of Prussia Mall this Black Friday, she has worked the past three years and knows that this year will look much different. Throughout the past several months after the mall reopened, people seem to be shopping less and hesitant to try clothes on. She said, “It has been such a different experience this year at the mall.” Bratun doesn’t know how this holiday season will be handled but hopes that every store manager has a safe plan for all involved.
Kate Thompson, senior business management student, also works in the King of Prussia Mall and states “the mall has not been the same.” Thompson added that it has become rare for her store to hit their sales goals each day. With shortened hours, employees have been struggling with working less.
This has been a common theme for many stores around the King of Prussia Mall seeing several stores closing. Smaller stores seem to be struggling the most compared to cheaper and larger stores like Primark and Forever 21. Small boutiques especially cannot afford to have their prices be as cheap as many larger clothing businesses’ which has really negatively affected them.
Vic Monterosso, senior international business student, works at Golf Galaxy in Berwyn, Pennsylvania. She said that in previous years the store typically does a 25 percent off sale on Black Friday, but with COVID-19 they have changed this to smaller deals over the course of a week.
Monterosso said, “Luckily for us, golf is one of the only things people can do right now, so our store has been pretty busy throughout the golf season.” Golf Galaxy is planning for a large number of shoppers but also planning safety protocols. She believes with the deals spread out, it will be safer for all involved.
While online sales are expected to increase up to 35 percent, stores across the country are still planning for thousands of people, long lines and lots of deals.
When shopping, health professionals are urging everyone to wear masks, keep socially distant and definitely bring hand sanitizer.
