CAUTION • Some experts think changes here to stay
tablets to track how many people were moving in and out of the store. Curbside service was also a bigger part of this year’s shopping ritual.
At a Target in Eastlake employees sat at a table out front ready to deliver packages to vehicles parked in the store’s dedicated curbside spots.
Other precautions were being taken as well. Many stores had hand sanitizer readily available as customers walked in the door, and signs explained that face masks were required.
Nidia Campos is a veteran Black Friday shopper, but with COVID-19 cases on the rise, she turned to online shopping in an effort to stay safe.
“It’s more convenient to pick up your things and go,” Campos said from the line at Best Buy. “It’s faster, too. You know what you’re going to get, so you pick that thing up and you’re done.”
Campos’ strategy is in line with advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which put “shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving ” on its list of higher-risk activities. The
agency instead advised that people shop online.
Most shoppers seemed pleased that stores were taking precautions, but some felt the safety measures were overkill.
Outside a GameStop in Eastlake, a short but slowmoving line of in-person shoppers had formed. Oscar
Gonzales, 52, said he and his son had been waiting for more that 30 minutes to get inside.
“I know people who got COVID and they’re fine now,” Gonzales said. “This (wait) is just ridiculous.”
He said he and his son like to shop in person because it’s easier to assess the quality of an item. That’s especially true for collectibles, Gonzales said. GameStop carries a large selection of Funko Pop Vinyl figurines, which are popular among collectors.
Despite individual preferences and Black Friday tradition, the shift to online shopping is likely here to stay, some experts said. Although shopping habits have been trending digital for quite some time, the pandemic pushed the fast-forward button on e-commerce’s growth.
After expanding online services during the pandemic, retailers are stresstesting how well the new options work in the busiest and most crucial shopping period of the year. Brands also extended their promotions for a longer time this year, with many starting in October. If the industry can produce a solid fourth quarter during a recession and a
pandemic, analysts said, it’s hard to see it turning back to the old ways.
“Black Friday became Black November; now it’s Black October and Black November,” said Doug Stephens, founder of consulting firm Retail Prophet. “Soon, we’ll be looking at a Black Quarter.”
Last week, Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, reported that e-commerce sales increased 79 percent in the third quarter, while its rival Target said its e-commerce business was up 155 percent, according to The New York Times.
“It’s so easy now to do it online,” said 71-year-old Joe Casciani from the Best Buy parking lot in Mission Valley. “I think the whole shift away from in-person shopping is happening in front of our eyes.”
Despite the cautious environment, some shoppers were clearly having a good time. One young woman even did a little dance as she walked away from Best Buy with a hard-to-find PlayStation 5 gaming console.