There are a lot of memes dedicated to the year 2020. None of them flattering. That’s because it’s been a difficult year. But even in the midst of all the trials, good always manages to rise.
keeping up with tradition
People pull together and find a way to thrive regardless of a new normal. This same attitude of perseverance is what’s continuing the tradition of Black Friday, but with modifications. Find out all what you need to know about this year’s Black Friday in a series of articles I have prepared for you die-hard Black Friday shoppers.
Not everything about the shopping day has been released publicly yet, so not all the changes are known. Some stores have been sharing some information while others are still in planning mode.
I have a FREE guide that will help you plan your Black Friday bonanza in a proper and efficient way. You will be prepared for what to expect for your shopping experience.
Black Friday Longer than 1 day?
A few stores are planning bigger Black Friday events just for shoppers to be able to enjoy better sale prices and more opportunities to buy the things they want and need for the holidays.
There are a few of the bigger home improvement stores that plan to do away with the traditional one day only Black Friday sale. These stores will give consumers the chance to shop for as long as 8 weeks for Black Friday.
That means that when the sales event begins in November, you can get what you want without the rush and crowd crush of regular Black Friday events. But if you were planning to do some things around your house and thinking you might hit the home improvement stores after your Thanksgiving meal, you won’t be able to.
Like many of the larger grocery stores and retail store chains, home improvement stores are also closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day. A lot of the high-end department stores won’t be open on Thanksgiving, either.
What they’re doing for their Black Friday holiday deals is opening up specials just for online shopping. This change will see the deals lasting for several days rather than just one.
are you ready for online shopping?
While some stores are announcing well in advance what their plans are for Black Friday 2020, not all of them have yet. So those decisions are still up in the air. Because online shopping will probably out-perform in-person shopping this year, that means you should be able to enjoy a stress-free shopping day.
Remember to shop early for what you want. With the heavy online shopping slant this year, that doesn’t mean every single store is closing up shop for Black Friday. Some of them will have in-person shopping, but this will be far different from the past.
Instead of wall to wall people, you might see anywhere from a handful to just 50 people inside if it’s a large store. You’ll have to check with each individual store to see what their policies are. You may need appointments for some to go inside the store.
Or, you might be able to shop online, but can drive to the store to get what you bought curbside rather than having to wait for the items to be delivered to your home.
shopping by appointment
Crowds that traditionally show up for holiday shopping have always been considered the norm until this year when a virus made crowded shopping a lot less safe. In response to the pandemic, many stores have now decided that this shopping day will be held in a new way.
Many of them plan to have online shopping instead, which will still allow people to get what they need but without having to be in the store to do so. However, there will be some stores that do plan to have in-person shopping for Black Friday.
But this in-person shopping will be done by appointment only. This concept first took root when stores were allowed to reopen for business a few months ago and Best Buy was one of the stores that implemented shopping by appointment.
Most people don’t think twice about making an appointment when they need to do something. If you go to the doctor, you need to have an appointment. You can’t just show up whenever or there would be too many people for the doctor to safely see in one day.
This is the same meaning behind appointment only shopping. The purpose of this plan is solely because businesses want to limit the number of people inside the store. The smaller the crowd, the less likely there will be of any viral transmission.
The Utmost care for your health is provided
The focus for retailers is to put forth the best possible care in order to keep customers as healthy as possible while shopping. It’s also part of the plan to limit exposure to their employees.
With fewer people inside the store at one time, businesses will be able to control the foot traffic. They won’t have an abundance of people and will be able to get shoppers in and out of the store faster.
In order for people to be able to shop at appointment only stores, they will need to check with the establishment to see how to sign up for a shopping slot. Some will have schedules open for customers to add their name and shopping times on a website appointment roster.
This ensures that everyone can have the same chance to shop for what they need and at the same time, it eliminates long lines, crowds, and the rush to enter a store. The shopping appointment times won’t be unlimited, however.
When someone signs up for a time slot, they’ll have a specific amount of time to get their shopping done so that their appointment doesn’t overtake the next person’s appointment.
Some stores have virtual queues where you can arrive, put your name on a list, and come back when you’re notified that it’s your turn to shop.
In addition to having shopping by appointment, these same stores will schedule a curbside pickup for those who don’t want to make an appointment. This way, you have a contactless experience when you simply place your items in the trunk of your car.
