What will a pandemic Black Friday look like? And when will stores open in Modesto?
Go ahead and eat your whole Thanksgiving dinner in peace next week because Black Friday is going to wait until actual Friday this year.
The traditional start of the holiday shopping season, and a boatload of bargains, will look a lot different in 2020 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most major retailers will stay closed on Thanksgiving Day, bucking years of trends that saw scores of people rush to finish or delay their family dinners in order to shop sales on the holiday day itself.
This year most big box retailers will reopen the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday because as consumer legend tells it that was when stores finally turned a profit on sales for the year. In the valley, that means shoppers might tuck in to bed a little sooner — no doubt also due in part to a hefty and delicious dose of Tryptophan — to find the best deals as stores open early Friday morning.
Still, getting up before the sun to shop isn’t your only option to find some great bargains this holiday season. In fact many retailers are discouraging hoards of in-person shoppers on a single day, and instead offering longer Black Friday sales, some starting the week of Thanksgiving and others lasting after.
Online Black Friday sales have already begun in earnest, and are also being offered as a safer alternative. Curbside pickup, which many retailers are offering, is another option. Online shopping, in addition to being contact-free, does not require a mask or social distancing. Though still wash your hands because that’s just good hygiene.
Local retailers, small businesses need customers
Then, of course, there are our locally owned independent shops which will also be closed for Thanksgiving, but still will have some sales and great offerings throughout the season. In a pandemic year like this, when small businesses have been hit the hardest and could use your dollar the most, it could make the difference between sinking and surviving for them.
So pick one of your favorite local shopping centers, from McHenry Village to Roseburg Square and many others, and just explore. Cute boutiques and great shops with unique gifts and grateful staff await. Plus you’ll likely find much smaller crowds than at the congested big boxes, another important consideration when there’s a deadly respiratory virus that has already killed more than a quarter million Americans floating in the air.
Already, COVID-19 has made this year particularly stressful and challenging for local artisans. Safety restrictions and concerns canceled the immensely popular Mod Shop makers and craft fair which has long been held on Small Business Saturday (the day right after Black Friday).
So instead its co-founders are regularly highlighting great local crafters and artisans on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
“Our goal this season is to keep sharing what local makers are creating and selling. We have been reposting their work on our social media and encouraging people to shop small and shop local,” said co-founder Ruhi Sheikh in a online interview. “We’re hoping that our community bands together behind our creatives and small businesses downtown and throughout Modesto ... They need our support now, more than ever.”
Arts memberships, donations can be gifted
Another fun local option is memberships to local arts organizations, which you can buy at any time with no lines whatsoever. Nonprofits like Modesto’s State Theatre, Gallo Center for the Arts, Prospect Theater Project and groups across the region like the Turlock Community Theatre and Carnegie Arts Center and Newman’s West Side Theatre could use your help to keep the lights on. Those gifts of a memberships or donations will help local arts survive the long, hard shutdown.
Trust me, you don’t have to worry you’ll be tanking the economy by not shopping at Target, Walmart or Amazon this Black Friday. Major national retailers have been raking in record profits despite the worsening COVID-19 outbreak across the state and country. They’ll be fine. Your local shop or arts group might not.
Still, if you simply can’t resist the lure of those cheap flat-screen TVs and $10 toasters, remember to take precautions when you shop. Some major chains have said they’ll be metering the number of customers they allow inside, to ensure space for social distancing. Let’s face it, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with people while trying to get the last Instant Pot is a particularly bad idea this year.
Valley store hours for Black Friday shopping
Here’s a look at when the major retailers will open on Black Friday, Nov. 27. All are closed on Thanksgiving Day except where noted:
Bass Pro Shop: Open 8 a.m.-6. p.m. Thanksgiving, 5 a.m. Friday
Big Lots: Open 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Thanksgiving, 6 a.m. Friday
Best Buy: Open at 5 a.m. Friday
Burlington: Opens 7 a.m. Friday
Costco: Open 9 a.m. Friday
GameStop: Open 7 a.m. Friday
Harbor Freight Tools: Open 7 a.m. Friday
Home Depot: Open 6 a.m. Friday
Kohl’s: Open at 5 a.m. Friday
Lowe’s: Open 6 a.m. Friday
Michael’s: Open 7 a.m. Friday
Office Depot/OfficeMax: Open 9 a.m. Friday
Old Navy: Open midnight Thanksgiving through Friday
Staples: Open 9 a.m. Friday
Target: Open at 7 a.m. Friday
Vintage Fair Mall: Open 6 a.m. Friday
Walmart: Open 5 a.m. Friday
Perhaps the one small silver lining in this abysmal year is that many retail and essential workers, who have been among the most exposed and vulnerable through all this, will hopefully be able to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving meal with their immediate family for a change. And remember, wherever you go out to shop this holiday season, wear a mask. They protect you (they really do), they protect others, and they’re a way to show the no-doubt exhausted store staff that you care about their safety as well.
