UNITED STATES—With Thanksgiving fast approaching another big holiday is also shaping up, ‘Black Friday.’ For what seems like the first time in years, the actual biggest shopping holiday in the world is slated to take place on the actual Friday after Thanksgiving. In years past, Black Friday has taken place on what I deemed Black Thursday or Thanksgiving itself.
So many in the retail arena never got the opportunity to actually enjoy the holiday with family and friends, but that is NOT going to be the case in 2020 and that is a good thing, but also a worrisome issue at the same time. I’m trying to figure out how retailers plan to deal with customers in the midst of a pandemic. I mean how do they plan to keep social distancing rules in effect, will all shoppers be required to wear a mask, how will they control lines and the abundance of shoppers expected to dawn on establishments?
I mean there are a lot of questions that need to be answered America and with that said, I’m under the guise that the crowds may not be as massive this year as in previous years. People are concerned because of COVID-19 and with that said, I can see many retailers closing the doors once a certain number of individuals have entered the establishment. Once that happens, we could see massive lines outside the establishment which is likely to lead many people to just saying the hell with it! I’ll purchase the items online and have them shipped to my home. While dealing with the crowds and being around people is the fun of Black Friday with family and friends, for 2020 we’re in the midst of a pandemic, there is NOTHING fun about that America, so we have to be smart and wise about the things we do and how we do them.
That brings me to the big tale of the hour, what are shopping malls going to do? I mean you already have lines to get into most STORES now because of the pandemic, can you imagine what the lines MIGHT look like on Black Friday? They are going to look beyond crazy America, and to be honest I don’t see how so many of these retailers will control the crowds or prevent overcrowding to a point that we’re not spreading COVID-19 more than ever before. I mean the number of cases are climbing day by time, which is boggling my mind and it’s beyond scary to say the least.
There is no way the malls will allow as many people as possible to enter the establishment in the midst of a pandemic, it just will not happen people, no matter how much you think it’s possible. I mean can you imagine being turned away from the mall on the biggest shopping day of the year. I mean I know a mall in my region where every Black Friday it is so packed it’s impossible to find a parking spot every year, and when I say every year, I mean every year, it is like clockwork people, so it is only going to be worse for 2020.
The one good thing many Americans are seeing are massive deals a lot earlier from many retailers. Black Friday is not a day or two anymore; it’s become something that takes place several days in some cases several weeks this year. The savings are in full force and that is a great thing America, the more you can save the more you can spend which seems to be catching the attention of many retailers at long last.
Whatever your plan is for the biggest shopping day of the year, be cautious, be careful and make a plan, it’s likely to be more chaotic in 2020 than any other year in the past people. I will admit having crowds under control might make the shopping experience a bit more pleasurable and quicker than we ever imagined.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
