This browser does not support the Video element.
Black Friday looks a little different this year
Ann Rubin reports.
Thanks to the pandemic, Black Friday is different this year.
Stores have capacity constraints and shoppers have concerns.
"It felt like just because of the virus, less people so I thought ok might be better, shorter lines," says Masseh Kohistani, who was shopping at Best Buy in Dublin.
But retail experts, like Kirthi Kalyanam of Santa Clara University, say stores are also short on inventory. They're intentionally stocking less, meaning that hot toy or perfect shirt may be harder to find.
"Those cutbacks in inventory mean two things for consumers. Do we still have Black Friday deals? We do. Are they as exciting as you'd think they would be today? Probably not," says Kalyanam.
That said, Black Friday savings, actually started November 1st.
And in many cases, they'll extend into December.
Kalyanam predicts we'll have a suprisingly "decent" shopping season.
"Decent meaning even though stores have shut down, consumers are still very enthusiastic about buying and giving gifts," he says.
Another shift is that more people are buying online. In order to compete, a group of small San Jose businesses have banded together. San Jose Made allows locals to show their wares, helps them fulfill orders, and provides a pop up location for pickups.
"I think we're over 1500 products on the site right now which is amazing to see. But yeah discovery is a really huge component," says Kevin Biggers of San Jose Made.
In San Jose, Zonkey's Toys is also increasing online sales. But they were still hoping discounts would bring in Black Friday shoppers.
"It's harder of course because our store is made for people coming in experiencing the newest toys, the new products that we have. But it's one of those things where we're just trying our best," says Nat Nguyen of Zonkey Toys.
And customers are responding. Some say, this year, they're forgoing big box stores and shopping exclusively at small businesses.
"Just cause there's a lot more people, especially during these times, there's a lot more people who are struggling and they need that support," says Anthony Meza of San Jose.
After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday. Though local stores are saying if they have any chance of staying afloat, they hoping shoppers will support them every day.