Evan Sanders

Retailers are releasing Black Friday deals throughout November at stores across the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.    

    Retailers including Best Buy, Walmart and Target are utilizing contactless payments and curbside pickups this holiday season. The stores are also expanding their in-person deals to their websites and apps. Stores are welcoming shoppers with increased safety measures. For example, Walmart and Best Buy are holding their stores to strict capacity limits. Target is allowing customers to reserve shopping times in order to keep a safe number of people in the store.  

“Women shopping online during christmas stock photo.” Kerkez. Nov. 15, 2017.

Shoppers can expect to see Black Friday deals for some retailers popping up earlier than ever. Walmart, America’s biggest retailer, is promoting their sale as the “Black Friday Deals for Days.” They will be releasing new Black Friday deals on the first, second and fourth Wednesday during November. “I’m really excited that this year, when it matters most to our customers, we’re offering them more convenient and safer ways to shop Black Friday at Walmart,” said Scott McCall, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart.

Other large retailers are offering same day delivery for products ordered this holiday season. Macy’s is partnering with DoorDash to deliver items straight to the customer’s door. “Customers are craving a more convenient, satisfying and safe way to shop,” said Casey North, the vice president of drive for DoorDash. “We’re excited to bring this capability to Macy’s.” 

Small businesses are turning to online systems as a safer option for shopping this holiday season. Apps like Shopify are making it possible for small businesses to add curbside pick-up and delivery for their customers. Deloitte accounting projects that online orders this holiday season will increase by 25-30% over years past; it will make up 17% of total retail sales for the whole year. 

With all of the changes coming this holiday season, Consumer Reports recommends:

• Shopping earlier than previous years
  • Stores may not be equipped to handle the projected amount of orders.
  • Laptops, desks and other at home work equipment is more likely to be sold out since people are working at home.
• Identifying store policies before leaving the house
  • Find out if stores have capacity limits, require temperature checks, masks, etc.
  • Store hours may vary due to the pandemic.
• Utilize apps and loyalty programs
  • Online deals have already begun! Apps and loyalty emails will help the consumer to know where and when to find exactly what they’re looking for.
  • The best loyalty programs will have better deals for most consumers. 

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images

These changes are coming as covid-19 cases nationwide continue to climb. In Missouri, health officials have reported a 48% increase in cases over the last two weeks, according to The New York Times. Locally, Jackson County requires mask wearing and social distancing at all businesses. According to the county’s Covid-19 guidelines, all businesses are responsible for all guests in the store at all times. They may ask all customers to wear a mask while in the store and can refuse business to anyone who does not wear a mask.