Black Friday is a long-kept tradition for shopaholics, especially in the United States. There would usually be long lines and people camping outside of stores to get their hands on the biggest deals – but we’re not so sure about that this year.
As the pandemic that had surged across the whole globe, Black Friday has been altered drastically to provide safety for their customers, limiting the number of people entering the store at once.
Due to the economic setback that the coronavirus has made to the country, most probably people won’t be able to shop as much as they used to, since feeding themselves also becomes a struggle at these times of distress… or so we thought.
People would still spend more or less as much as they used to since they are not using their expenses for traveling, concerts, and other socially-done events that require them to go outside.
Even so, the retailers in the United States suffer from bankruptcy from the COVID-19 restrictions, while online services like Amazon and Walmart have thrived from the pandemic, people ordering online to avoid social contact.
Retailers are working on making their stores online so people are encouraged to buy from them. Some shops like Home Depot and Target are spreading out their Black Friday prices for the customers.
“The deals are available now – you don’t have to wait. You don’t have to concentrate your shopping over a single weekend,” said Katherine Cullen, senior director of retail and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation.
This would actually help lessen the pressure of supplying to physical stores since the Black Friday sales would be lengthened.
Small businesses have trouble adapting to the current norm, as the number of shops that are closed has estimated to be as much as 17,503.
“Department stores were already weak and are certainly getting weaker,” said Brian Wieser, global president of business intelligence for GroupM, a media agency. “When you compound all of this with the idea that many of these retailers are at risk of going out of business, it certainly begs the question if anything like the old Black Friday will possibly return in a year’s time.”
In-store shopping will still be practiced there, since the people are happier to have more choices on how to shop, though of course, safety measures are to be abided, having only 20% of people fill of one’s storage capacity.
“Particularly during the holiday season, we’ve seen people like in-store shopping. It’s a social activity, they’re seeing decorations, they’re picking out gifts,” Cullen said. “Holiday seasons down the road, we’re going to continue to see an interest in that in-store element, even if people embrace some of the conveniences of online shopping.”
Let’s not let this pandemic ruin our shopping spree and enjoy ourselves, as authorities are making efforts to help us to do.
Source: The Guardian