Breelyn Webb

With the COVID-19 pandemic still hanging over the heads of Americans, this holiday season is looking unlike any other.

The usual hustle and bustle now has many restrictions and concerns under the thumb of COVID-19. Businesses now have requirements, including reduced indoor capacity limits, enhanced safety of staff and customer protocols, and limited hours.

These requirements continue into a season centered on mass turnout and season’s greetings.

Stores like Walmart and Target, which usually have huge Black Friday sales starting Thanksgiving Day, are now expanding from the usual one day of massive turnout and sales starting just after dinner time, to all November long in some cases.

This year, big-name retailers including Walmart and Target decided to close their doors on Thanksgiving Day and opt for a version of Black Friday that can still thrive under the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walmart is promoting three separate “main event” days of sales, that begin online and continue in stores. They are also promoting that customers have the option to do contact curbside pick-up for free, during these deal days.

Target’s approach is an all month-long Black Friday with different sales every week. Target is also promising to match prices up until Christmas Day if they go below the advertised price. Target, like Walmart, is allowing contactless, same-day, curbside pick-up and in-store order pick-ups as well as same-day delivery with Shipt to allow customers to enjoy the deals safely.

Both stores also promise attention to sanitization, social distancing, and other measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff in store.

As COVID-19 continues, stores are working with the necessary precautions while still preserving the holiday shopping season.