Your Life
For the longest time, Black Friday has been a big sale extravaganza on the Friday after Thanksgiving signaling the start of the Holiday Shopping Season. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent about $730 billion on holiday purchases during November and December of 2019--which was a 4% increase over 2018 sales.
This year, Black Friday will be a little different. First of all, it's no longer a one-day event. Instead, it has already started with sales and advertisement in stores throughout the US. There will be just as many deals online as there are in stores. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, stores are limiting and monitoring the number of customers in their stores. So, if you go to a store, plan on long lines with people spaced appropriately waiting their turn to get in.
Also, for the first time, it is anticipated that Cyber Monday may surpass Black Friday. Many major department stores are planning to close on Thanksgiving Day. Lastly, with spiking numbers of COVID-19 infections coupled with the flu season and struggling economics of unemployment, experts say that people will likely start buying later and buying less as they juggle the uncertainty of their financial outlook.
7 ways COVID-19 has changed holiday shopping
by Michael Mosier
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