By TEAGAN MERRIMAN – Every year, Black Friday brings a slew of sales to the market in order to increase sales and give consumers the opportunity to save on the items they want most.  Things in 2020, however, look a little different than before.

In response to the ongoing pandemic, many retailers have extended their Black Friday sales throughout the month of November, rather than limiting them to a single weekend.  Shoppers can find deals on their favorite Apple products such as AirPod Pros and the Apple Watch Series 6, and Nike is boasting sales of up to 40% on many products.

Senior Sandy Milby remarked, “I want to get deals on specific items that I have in mind as gifts for family members and deals on jewelry and clothes that I would like for myself.  I love Black Friday but sometimes I think it is slightly overrated.  There are really good deals starting on Veterans Day and going through Christmas.”  

Local rises in COVID cases may undoubtedly cause disruption to typical Black Friday operations.  Some shoppers are still willing to put their own health at risk by going out and shopping and coming in contact with people they do not see on a regular basis.  Others say that their feeling of safety is circumstantial.

Senior Chloe Kocinski stated, “I feel okay going out shopping but only if stores are following COVID policies.  I think days such as Black Friday are really dangerous.  Social distancing cannot be maintained and many people get in your personal space, which is normally part of the experience of shopping that day, but with COVID I think it could lead to big problems for many schools and workplaces potentially having to shut down.”

Students going out to shop could potentially contribute to a higher case count and an extended school shutdown through the holidays.  Taylor Wood, a freshman, noted, “I think that Black Friday shopping will affect COVID numbers because if people go out in all of the stores and don’t wear a mask, there might be a higher risk.  I think that there will be a rise in online shopping because many people do not want to actually go into the stores, and online shopping might be safer.”

Risks can be reduced significantly if shoppers remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing.     

[Photo courtesy of Teagan Merriman]

Photo caption: “Catalogs show deals that can be found on Black Friday.“