Amid outbreak, Austin stores prep for a Black Friday unlike any other

Like so many other things, Black Friday — the traditional start of the holiday shopping season — will look very different in 2020.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Central Texas retailers — from big boxes to one-person e-commerce sites — are rolling out their deals in different ways and providing a variety of purchasing options.

Gone for now are the midnight store openings and doorbuster deals that typically draw in crowds for limited-quantity bargains.

Many shopping centers — including Barton Creek Square, Lakeline Mall, the Domain and the San Marcos and Rock Rock outlet malls — are breaking with tradition and remaining closed on Thanksgiving. They are also cutting back on extended holiday hours in hopes of drawing smaller, steadier crowds throughout the month.

Rather than waiting until the day after Thanksgiving, many national brands including Walmart, Target and Best Buy began offering their sales weeks ahead of time.

“Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are losing their shine as retailers offer discounts early and often and work to spread out the season and avoid high spikes,” consulting firm Accenture said in its annual holiday report.

There’s a lot at stake for stores: The period between Thanksgiving and the end of December can account for as much as 30% of a merchant’s annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

“The holiday season is a big one for us, and this year it’s going to be interesting,” said Elizabeth Lane, floor manager at the Great Outdoors nursery in Austin. “We have 43 employees and we’re keeping eyes on everyone at all times. We are very strict on the mask rule and social distancing.”

The Great Outdoors limits the number of people who can enter the nursery and its gift store and greenhouse and it is only accepting credit card payments. Employees are randomly tested for COVID-19 every two weeks.

Lane said customers appreciate the safety measures, and she expects that goodwill to help the nursery sell the 700 Christmas trees it has shipped in from North Carolina.

“I hear from a lot of people who say, ’I don’t go out anywhere, but this is the one place I feel safe,’” she said. “We are optimistic this will be a very good season.”

Steve Horwitz, an economics professor at Ball State University, said the 2020 holiday shopping season promises to be the most unusual one ever, as both retailers and their customers continue to cope with life during a pandemic.

“The challenge of how to get sales close to typical holiday seasons while still protecting themselves and their customers is a tricky one,” he said. “No firm can afford to be the site of a superspreading event, so they have every reason to try to keep everyone safe.”

Opting for online

As coronavirus cases have climbed recently across Central Texas, Dr. Mark Escott, the Austin-Travis County interim health authority, recommended last week that businesses and restaurants voluntarily reduce capacity from 75% to 25% or 50%. However, under orders issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, those businesses can continue to operate at 75% capacity.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified “shopping at crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving” on a list of higher-risk activities to avoid, and in guidance issued ahead of the fall holidays also suggested more online shopping.

Abbott said last week that he would not order another shutdown. But even with retail stores open, the question is how man consumers — many of whom are dealing with economic uncertainty as well as safety concerns — will buy in.

In Austin, consumers plan to spend an average of $587 on holiday purchases this year, $90 less than the $677 they spent last year, according to an annual survey by Accenture.

Three out of five Austin shoppers said they will minimize in-store shopping, according to the survey. About half said they will rely heavily on curbside pickup, while 82% will shop online and nearly half said they will do so exclusively.

Meanwhile, 63% of Austinites surveyed said they plan to shop homegrown retailers to support the local economy.

That’s what Austin entrepreneur Carleen Kirksey is hoping. This year, she founded Austin Nature Works, an e-commerce startup that sells handmade eco-friendly toys.

Kirksey said customers are drawn to her toys because they encourage kids to step away from the screens many have been glued to due to online learning. She said she hopes that bodes well for holiday sales.

During the pandemic, “a lot of families are looking for ways to incorporate more educational toys into their home,” said Kirksey, who is a former preschool teacher. “My toys are open-ended and promote intuitive learning, and that's what people are looking for right now, both for their kids and as gifts.”

‘All about options’

For Central Texas consumers who do make their way to the stores, the shopping weekend will be very different than in recent years.

Last year, Kohl’s splashiest doorbusters went on sale in-store at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and at many stores, shoppers lined up outside to nab a deal.

This year, the chain will be closed on the holiday. It kicked off its Black Friday Week sale on Nov. 22 and a “Super Deals” sale will start online on Thanksgiving instead.

Shoppers who arrive at Kohl’s in Sunset Valley on Black Friday (the store opens at 5 a.m.) will be met by a greeter with hand sanitizer and a sanitized cart. Employees will count the number of people entering the store to track occupancy, and hand sanitizer and wipes will be available throughout the store.

Masks are required, and the store will supply disposable masks and gloves to customers who request them. Dressing rooms will remain closed, and a cleaning team will continuously sanitize the store.

“It’s just going to be very different this year,” said store manager Ruby Porter. “That’s why the Black Friday deals started early — to space it out, so everybody who wants to shop our deals doesn’t have to come in on that day.”

Like most retailers, Kohl’s is also offering curbside delivery and online ordering with in-store pickup.

“This Black Friday,” Porter said, “it’s all about options.”

Black Friday mall hours in Central Texas

For information on special events and to make reservations for Santa visits, see the individual mall’s website.

• Barton Creek Square, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• The Domain, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Lakeline Mall, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Round Rock Premium Outlets, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• San Marcos Premium Outlets, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.