The holiday season figures to feel more familiar in 2021 than it did a year ago, when a global pandemic forced people to change how they celebrated and shopped. Though the pandemic is not yet in the rearview mirror, the rollout of a trio of effective vaccines should make it possible for millions of people to celebrate safely this holiday season.
A return to normalcy should be welcome news for local retailers, and Black Friday could start the beginning of a busy and lucrative holiday season. With a more normal holiday season on the horizon, shoppers may benefit from a refresher course on how to get the best Black Friday deals.
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Forgo the big box stores at malls in other cities and shop locally — check out smaller independent retailers. Fewer crowds, more personalized service and unique offerings are the payoffs. And don’t forget, the day after Black Friday is Small Business Saturday, the day that the city of Pasadena and Visit Pasadena launch the “From Pasadena, with Love” holiday shop local campaign to promote the hundreds of local small and independent businesses. For more, click here.
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Comparison shop. Getting a head start on Black Friday shopping also affords shoppers a chance to comparison shop. PriceGrabber.com makes it easy to compare deals from a wide range of retailers on everything from appliances to furniture to pet supplies.
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Confirm when stores open. Many retailers abandoned midnight store openings on Black Friday a year ago. Such decisions were made to protect public health and they may remain in place in 2021. Though it might be a family tradition to visit a retailer in the wee small hours of the Black Friday morning, the pandemic has changed the holiday shopping landscape. So confirm when stores open and close before crawling out of bed in the dark this Black Friday.
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Utilize curbside pickup to avoid crowds. Shoppers who are still nervous about COVID-19 don’t have to sit Black Friday out for the second year in a row. Various retailers started offering curbside pickup during the pandemic and that option has proven so popular that it’s stuck around even after vaccines became widely available. Shoppers with unvaccinated children at home or those who simply want to avoid crowds can safely land great deals by opting for curbside pickup this Black Friday.
Black Friday figures to feel more normal in 2021 than it did a year ago. Consumers can capitalize on Black Friday sales by revisiting some old shopping strategies and embracing new ones as the 2021 holiday season begins.
