Black Friday at Walmart, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target: Changes to be expected in stores and online due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Black Friday is known as the biggest shopping day of the year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will look different.

There is one thing for sure, COVID-19 does not cancel Black Friday. Many retailers have rolled out discounts on Black Friday over the past few weeks and will continue to offer them to get you to shop. For this Black Friday, the deals should be big, but you should also expect a big difference when it comes to your shopping experience.

Retailers have measures in place to avoid crowds and brawls for these hard-to-obtain items.

“You’re going to see queues outside the gate in some cases. Just because people are waiting at 4 a.m. to pick up those gates,” said Sara Skirboll, a shopping expert. and trends. “It’s because retailers are really trying to implement safe standards and safety measures to keep employees and customers safe.”

Target

At Target, you can check the website to see if there is a line outside the store. If so, you can reserve your seat and you will receive an SMS when it is your turn to enter and shop. Here’s more information on Target’s Save Your Spot program.

Also expect to see retailers with hand sanitizer, directional arrows to follow, floor stickers to ensure there is enough social distancing upon departure, and protective barriers to registers. Regarding verification, there will be more options.

“There will be contactless verification on your app, you can check in with a salesperson at the door rather than standing at the checkout,”
Trae Bodge, another shopping and trends expert, said.

Best buy

At Best Buy, an added customer experience host will be at the front of each store. Stickers have been placed on the ground, as well as outside, to promote social distancing. And if you need the help of a blue shirt, you’ll be placed in a digital that while you wait.

Contactless curbside pickup is now available at all Best Buy stores. Pickup in store is another option.

Black Friday 2020: From Walmart To Best Buy, Here Are The Offers For Holiday Shopping

Walmart

Walmart stores will open at 5 a.m. local time on Black Friday in-store event days. Customers will need to form a single straight line to enter the store. The associates will distribute disinfected shopping carts to customers. Workers will be placed at the entrances to greet customers and remind them to put on a mask.

During these Black Friday in-store events, Walmart will be measuring customers in the store to help reduce congestion. Customers will be directed down the right side of the aisles.

Kohl’s

Kohl’s launched Drive Up at Kohl’s, where customers can choose free same-day pickup at the store. The free, contactless service is available at Kohl’s stores nationwide. Qualifying items on Kohls.com marked as “Free In-Store Pickup” will be available for pickup within two hours. The company has installed protective barriers at all registers and will offer contactless payment. Signage and floor decals were also placed in stores to encourage social distancing of six feet, with particular emphasis on high traffic areas, including customer service and at the checkout.

Shipping times for the holidays 2020: Last day to send packages for Christmas

If you’re not comfortable going to the store this Black Friday, many retailers are now offering curbside pickup. You simply buy what you want online and within hours you will be notified that the item is ready. You go to the store and park at the pick-up on the sidewalk.

“Show your ID, and someone will bring your item to your car, put it in your trunk, you don’t even have to get out of your car. In many cases, it’s safe and it is. completely contactless. If not wanting to wait or risk waiting for something to be shipped from your online purchase, this is a great alternative to that, ”Skirboll said.
If you shop online before you buy, look at the estimated arrival date. With more people shopping online, there will be shipping delays, so make sure you order enough time for your gifts to arrive. Over seven million vacation packages will be shipped every day. This is three times more than last year. Ground shipping times for Christmas are typically between December 15th and 19th, and that may be too long to wait this year.

If you are going to shop in stores, the number one rule that all retailers ask shoppers to remember is to remember your masks because retailers are forcing them into stores.