The West St. Paul Walmart had plenty of employees ready for a crowd. But at 6 a.m., the people hadn’t come yet for Black Friday deals.
They were starting to trickle in, though. The Best Buy in Eagan wasn’t busy either.
While retailers have tried to spread out deals to discourage Black Friday crowds because of high rates of COVID-19 across the country, Yeseni Ibara couldn’t give up her annual tradition of early morning shopping.
Ibara, 37, went to the West St. Paul Walmart with her daughter, neighbor and other family members to hunt for deals including TVs and Apple watches. But employees told her to go online for those items so she bought blankets.
Her group were among a sparse group of customers.
The day after Thanksgiving has become its own holiday of sorts with devout deal searchers usually waking up early to snag sales available for a limited time. In recent years, Black Friday savings have crept earlier and earlier in the season and many major retailers have been opening later in the day Thanksgiving to offer holiday deals.
With a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, numerous big box stores like Twin Cities-based Target and Best Buy decided to close this Thanksgiving and offer their sales early online and in stores to discourage large crowds visiting stores on Black Friday.
Many stores have launched special safety plans including ways for customers to wait in digital queues instead of physical lines inside stores. They have also bolstered the capacity of their contactless shopping options like order drive-up as well as worked on improving their digital shopping capabilities.
Monse Bravo, 22, of St. Paul, though, still wanted to shop and was out early with her cousins. It’s a tradition for them.
“I personally liked how it used to be because everything was at one time,” she said.
She shopped two weeks ago and bought a 55-inch TV. On Friday, she grabbed pillows, a mixing set for $10 and nonstick skillets.
“I don’t like doing it online,” she said about Black Friday shopping. “Sometimes you don’t get all your items.”
Walmart and Best Buy opened stores early at 5 a.m. Friday. Target opened at 7 a.m., the normal hours for most of its stores. The Mall of America opened early at 8 a.m.
Professional services firm PwC surveyed potential shoppers during the summer who said they would spend 12% less this holiday, but asked in October shoppers were more optimistic with gift spending matching last year’s levels.]
New estimates have suggested broader spread of COVID-19 in the state. Roughly 15% of Minnesotans are estimated to have been likely infected with the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
Last week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued additional restrictions including closing restaurants and gyms to the public.
Twitter: @nicolenorfleet