How Retailers Are Doing Black Friday 2020 Differently
Black Friday is looking different this year.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the 2020 holiday shopping season, causing many people to decrease their spending and focus their shopping online and influencing retailers to change the ways they engage shoppers.
Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the holiday season, is seeing the biggest change this year, with many major retailers like Target Corp., Walmart Inc., Macy’s Inc. and others instead hosting monthlong sales and online initiatives to offer their customers safer ways to shop.
Here, WWD looks at how some major retailers and brands are changing their plans for Black Friday 2020. Read on for more.
Best Buy Inc.
Best Buy is offering Black Friday deals monthlong with new deals on electronics announced throughout November. Shoppers can do curbside pickup for their purchases or same-day delivery.
On Black Friday, Best Buy will be limiting the number of customers in-store to enforce social distancing.
Deciem
Beauty company Deciem is forgoing Black Friday for the second year in a row. The company will again close stores on Black Friday this year and will instead offer 23 percent off on all of its brands and products through November. Deciem will also be providing educational content on its skin-care products monthlong to help customers make informed purchases.
J.C. Penney Co. Inc.
J.C. Penney started offering Black Friday-like sales in mid-October to give customers a safer way to do their holiday shopping this year.
The retailer initially hosted its Cyber Days event on Oct. 12 to 14 to start the holiday shopping season and is offering monthlong deals through November. Customers can expect deals on kitchenware, homeware, toys, electronics and apparel.
Macy’s Inc.
Macy’s will start offering its Black Friday deals on Nov. 4, with deals and products added every week through the month. The department store is also giving customers the option of curbside pick-up, shipping to the store or same-day delivery via DoorDash. Many of the department store’s deals fall under $20 for items across fashion, beauty, home items and toys.
Macy’s will also be closed on Thanksgiving.
REI Inc.
REI is continuing its #OptOutside initiative for the sixth year in a row by closing stores, activity centers, distribution centers and headquarters on Black Friday. It will be paying its over 13,000 employees to encourage them to spend the day outside with family and friends.
Target Corp.
Target announced it is hosting a “Black Friday Now” initiative — a series of weeklong sales — throughout November to offer customers a safer shopping experience amid the pandemic.
The initiative includes four weeklong sales, starting with a sale on electronics, then kitchen items and floor care, then electronics apparel and beauty and then ending with deals on toys, kitchen items, floor care and electronics.
Target’s “Black Friday Now” deals also qualify for the retailer’s Price Match Guarantee, where shoppers can request a price adjustment on any item between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24.
The retailer will additionally be closed on Thanksgiving.
Walmart Inc.
Walmart is expanding Black Friday into three events throughout November, in its initiative called “Black Friday Deals for Days.” Each event will begin online and then enter stores.
The first event runs from Nov. 4 to 7 and includes deals on select toys, electronics and home products. From Nov. 11 to 14, shoppers will find deals on select electronics, like televisions, tablets and computers, and on apparel and home items. The last event runs from Nov. 25 to 27 and includes deals on select electronics, toys, apparel and home items.
The retailer is also closing its stores on Thanksgiving.
Read more here:
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