BLACK FRIDAY, WHAT TO EXPECT

LOCAL BUSINESSES PREP FOR B lack Friday sales incite stampedes and violence among shoppers, who pack themselves shoulder-to-shoulder in any given store. But with the UNUSUAL BLACK FRIDAY BY DYLAN SAUNDERS park Mall has yet to give store managers guidelines for holiday shopping. The only instructions Southpark Mall has provided to customers so far are signs encouraging threat of COVID, local businesses and shop- shoppers to pers must find some middle ground when it wear masks, comes to health and holiday shopping. Both social distance, and stores and shoppers face the holidays with follow common-sense uncertainty. health guidelines. “I don’t know,” said Walsh freshman and Vincent Zubal, a

North Royalton resident Bella Harvey. Bel- manager at PacSun, exla, her sister, and her aunt typically go out pects to see what he calls after Thanksgiving dinner and take advan- “standard procedure”: tage of Black Friday deals. “We go and shop shoppers will wear until we get tired,” said Bella. “We usually masks, social distance, go to Southpark Mall and Target.” She isn’t and use hand sanitizer sure how this tradition will hold up come stations at their discre-

November 27. Her mother has been online tion on Black Friday. shopping for the past few Black Fridays, Another manager, and Bella thinks that her family may follow Jackie R. from Zumez, suit. Her post-Thanksgiving plans are still in thinks the plan should question. be more detailed with

Shoppers like Bella aren’t the only ones information like the without solid Black Friday plans. South- maximum capacity of shop pers and a closing time that Some shoppers try to get ahead of the Black Friday rush. gives NRHS Senior Noelle Kostyack shops for early holiday deals. work e r s a chance to sanitize the building. Zumez plans its business cycle around Black Friday, but Jackie R. said, “We’re all just taking it week by week” this holiday season. With no official Black Friday policies in place, Southpark Mall stores hesitate to make any long-term plans of their own.

This year, customers can expect to see many more empty lots on Black Even in the face of such

Friday. Most businesses are conducting online Black Friday sales.