COVID-19 has forced people to make changes in their lives.  Due to new mandatory restrictions and health concerns,the usual traditions will have to change this Thanksgiving season.  With the new regulations mentioned, many people are retooling their plans this Thanksgiving.

The concern for people’s health is rising with the new cases of COVID.One question on everyone’s mind is, how is COVID going to affect some people’s participation in Black Friday shopping?

Some stores are opting out of participating in the typical Black Friday festivities, and some are accepting the challenge and doing it safely.  Walmart states, “This year, we’re offering more convenient and safer ways to shop Black Friday at Walmart, whether that’s from one of our stores, ordering online and picking it up curbside, or having it delivered to your front door.”  

Instead of canceling this tradition, companies are adding more ways people will be able to participate in Black Friday, whether that be in actual stores or at home.  Walmart is also implementing more safety precautions to deal with the usual large number of people they get on this day. “To provide a safer shopping experience,we’ll ask customers to form a single line …associates (will be) handing out sanitized shopping carts… health ambassadors will remind you to put on a mask…we’ll limit the number of customers into the store to help reduce congestion and promote social distancing.” 

Walmart is not the only store participating in Black Friday this year, Target has also accepted the challenge.  Target declares, “Social distance and use of masks will be mandatory… only a certain amount of people can come into stores… people may have to wait in line if the max amount of people in the store has been reached… if customers don’t want to come into the store, they can purchase online and pick in the store for no contact.”

Both stores are offering more than one option for people to participate in Black Friday.  Stores are giving people the option to shop in stores and order online with the same deals.  

For a person like Lauren Graziano, an English teacher at Oakdale High School, who expresses, “I worked retail for nine years as a manager and everything about Black Friday makes me sick. I never participate in the rush to be in a store around that time – I avoid it at all costs.” Shopping online is the best option for her.  So, with stores offering the same deals online as in stores helps her a great deal.  

The opposite is happening with Mr. Weiss, a Math teacher at Oakdale High School.  He states, “My wife likes to go to the stores on Black Friday…Personally I know how crowded stores are on Black Friday and I wouldn’t want to go this year (especially with some people not wearing masks correctly) and not keeping the correct distance.”  

The safety concerns of COVID might convince people to not go Black Friday shopping this year.  With stores like Walmart and Target taking extra safety precautions, maybe that can put some customers at ease about going into stores this Black Friday. 

With COVID cases on the rise again, so are people’s concerns about their safety.  Stores have responded by offering the same deals online for those who are opting to stay at home this Black Friday.  People who will be shopping in stores will have to abide by the new safety measures these stores are implementing.  Black Friday shopping will not be the same this year with COVID, but stores are doing their best to still give customers the best experience.