Is it possible to shop safely this Black Friday? Experts weigh

You’ve made your shopping list and checked it twice, but should you hit the stores on Black Friday to save money on your Christmas presents?

In a typical year, Black Friday sales draw massive crowds. Shoppers line up — with bellies full of turkey and pie — to score blockbuster deals, especially at retailers like Walmart WMT,
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and target TGT,
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Last year, Americans spent a record $68.9 billion between Thanksgiving Day and the following Sunday, according to a report by Consumer Growth Partners.

But 2020 is of course not a typical year. The United States is now averaging more than 1,300 COVID-19 deaths per day, with case numbers soaring across most of the country. Ahead of Thanksgiving, public health officials have issued stark warnings, calling on Americans not to visit family and friends during the holidays to avoid spreading the virus.

So how should shoppers plan to accomplish their gift shopping — and secure their savings — in the midst of a pandemic? Here’s what you need to know:

Extend your shopping beyond Black Friday

The so-called “creeping Christmas” is nothing new. For many years, retailers have been announcing their holiday promotions earlier and earlier in an effort to boost sales. But often the best discounts on many items can only be found during Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend.

This is not the case this year. In order to avoid attracting large crowds in just a few days, retailers spread the wealth. Stores such as Walmart, Target and Kohl’s KSS,
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don’t just sell Thanksgiving weekend. Some extended sale events throughout the month, while others offered the best deals from the Sunday before Turkey Day.

That said, it’s not entirely clear if this strategy is going as well as retailers wanted it to. “Because these deals last longer, people aren’t in a great rush to grab them and they take their time shopping to some degree,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst at DealNews.com.

Be aware that Black Friday shopping presents unique risks

Retailers are taking steps to keep shoppers safe, but the risk is not entirely eliminated. Virtually all retailers require customers and employees to wear masks inside stores — and some, like Macy’s M,
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will even provide masks for people if they don’t have one on them before entering. And many retailers, including Walmart and JCPenney, are cleaning high-touch areas more regularly.

Some stores, including Kohl’s and Best Buy BBY,
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go a step further than that and introduce capacity limits to reduce crowd sizes in their stores. (Some localities across the country may also impose capacity limits on all retailers.)

However, shopping in person is not without risk, even with these precautions. “Anytime you are around people who are not in your COVID bubble, which includes when you are shopping and meeting other people, you have a higher risk of contracting the virus,” said the Dr. Ravina Kullar, member and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

And shoppers shouldn’t be tricked into a false sense of security by safe measures like temperature checks, Kullar said. “Temperature checks don’t really help to catch the virus because many people are pre-symptomatic,” she said. Studies have shown that people can be contagious with the virus that causes COVID-19 without showing symptoms.

See also: Macy’s has reimagined this year’s Thanksgiving Parade, and an analyst says stores should get a facelift, too

Additionally, shopping in stores during Black Friday may be higher risk than other shopping trips, such as running to the grocery store.

“Black Friday shopping is different from grocery shopping because shopping usually involves a shopping cart that allows people to keep their distance,” said Dr Teresa Bartlett, chief medical officer at Sedgwick Insurance Company.

Also, when you’re in a grocery store, you tend to have a specific list. Comparatively, people tend to browse the aisles more when shopping more slowly – especially looking for the best deals – which increases the time spent in the store and therefore the risk involved.

Online shopping is the safest bet this year

Surfing the best deals on the internet is the safest way to shop this Black Friday. But you don’t need to limit yourself to online giants like Amazon AMZN,
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Macy’s has partnered with DoorDash to provide same-day delivery for those shopping at home.

Indeed, most brick-and-mortar retailers are offering their best online discounts this year. “I’ve seen a handful of in-store-only deals, but for the most part stores are making sure consumers can shop in the way that makes them most comfortable,” said shopping expert Trae Bodge. .

For shoppers who want more instant gratification rather than waiting for items to arrive in the mail, a good compromise is to use “buy online, pick up in store” or curbside pickup options. More retailers are offering them this year.

Some retailers have also increased their same-day delivery. Macy’s, for example, has partnered with DoorDash to provide same-day delivery for those who shop at home.

“The deal isn’t worth risking your health,” Bartlett said.

About Clara Barnard

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