It wasn’t the usual doorbuster sales of years’ past, with throngs of shoppers lining up long before the clock struck midnight on Black Friday. But the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t enough to scare away all shoppers either.
Even though foot traffic appeared to be down overall this year, there were still holiday shoppers willing to venture out to brick-and-mortar stores on Friday, Nov. 27.
In fact, shoppers flocked to the Lakewood Center in Lakewood to take advantage of in-person Black Friday deals. Dozens of people waited in lines to get inside stores like GameStop, Foot Locker and Forever 21, where some items were up to 50% off.
“I probably shouldn’t have gone out,” said Long Beach resident Eric Ramos. “But I figure I’d just knock out all my gifts today and not have to worry about risking buying online.”
Absent were the extravagant, eye-catching holiday advertisements that would normally decorate store windows; instead, there were simpler signs with easy-to-read lists of discounts — next to signage laying out health and safety guidelines. Security for the shopping center wandered the walkways with boxes of face masks for anyone without one.
“I figured there would still be a lot of people here,” said Trevor Haughland, a resident of Bellflower. “I mean, there’s still a lot of people but not as much as I thought.
“Everyone is masked up and staying safe it seems,” he added.
At The Shops at Montebello in the San Gabriel Valley, the customer count was down 20% to 30% around midday, which operations manager Jesus Salazar attributed to L.A. County’s public health order restricting the number of shoppers that can be inside a store at one time to 25%. Because of the reduced capacity, customers waited in lines outside to get in.
“Our customers are being pretty responsible today,” Salazar said. “Everybody is wearing their masks and following all of the social distancing requirements and being respectful of the guidelines and protocols in place.”
In the South Bay, store owners in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village were relying on a loyal customer base to help them weather a difficult year. The outdoor seating areas that had been bustling for months in this quaint retail district by the sea were deserted Friday. Chairs were up-ended on what tables remained. Some restaurants remained open for takeout as scattered shoppers cruised the avenue.
Business owners said the county-imposed outdoor dining ban that began at 10 p.m. Wednesday could not have come at a worse time before the holidays.
“Restaurants are vital for all of our survivals,” said Kim Judy, who co-owns Card de A. She described the trickle-down effect restaurants have on local shops.
“People come down to eat. Either before or after they eat, they shop. My fear is if the restaurants end up closing for good, eventually the shops will close as well and it will be a ghost town down here,” she said.
Elena Rager, who was shopping with her husband in the village, said it was the first year she’d made it a point to shop local. Supporting local businesses was particularly important to her this year.
“I feel safe and everyone is wearing masks and there’s sanitizer and we find what we want,” Rager said. “It just feels really comfortable.”
Now, Rager said shopping locally is a tradition she intends to continue for years to come.
“I just realized it’s unique and different, and I enjoy it,” Rager said.
At the same time that retailers are keeping their brick-and-mortar stores open to foot traffic, many business owners have shifted their focus to online sales in this era of pandemic shopping.
Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry Commerce Association, said more businesses are offering substantial online discounts or free shipping and asking customers to post their purchases on social media to help promote their stores. Businesses have also upped their online presence, with some revamping their websites or creating an app to improve customers’ experience.
“People are using social media more than they ever have,” Waldman said. “(Social media) was one of those items that was long on people’s list and they were just never fully able to engage, and now it’s become a necessity. If you were a company that was spending money on newspaper or magazine advertising (before), you may not have that budget now. And social media is a cheaper way to get your message out.”
Another strategy that Waldman is seeing more of this year is businesses promoting holiday sales earlier. For many stores, he said, Black Friday sales started a week ago.
Alan Au, co-owner of Jimmy Au’s For Men 5’8” And Under, a custom-tailored men’s retail store in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley, also had to turn to new ways of marketing this year.
He said business was down about 50% compared to previous Black Fridays. Anticipating it would be a difficult year, Au started running Black Friday sales two weeks ago and, for the first time, sent out direct mailers to customers, in addition to calling local customers — strategies which he believes is paying off. Two days after sending out the direct mailers, Au said his phone started ringing.
“It’s definitely helped,” he said. “I can tell because the calls are coming in.”
Some cities have also stepped in to help support their local businesses.
In La Cañada Flintridge in the San Gabriel Valley, the city is offering residents a chance to purchase gift cards through Yiftee, which can be used at all participating businesses. The city has agreed to pick up the underwriting costs so that it won’t cost businesses anything to participate, said Pat Anderson, president and CEO of the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Association.
The idea is to encourage consumers to shop locally, she said.
Donna Duperron, president and CEO of the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce and the incoming chair of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, expects a greater amount of online shopping this year.
Shortly after the pandemic forced businesses to shut down earlier this year, a number of businesses sought advice from their chambers of commerce on how to implement an online marketing campaign and how to provide products and services online, Duperron said.
But whether customers choose to support their local shops online or by making purchases in person, Duperron said it is critical, especially this year, for consumers to support their local business communities.
“We all count on the small businesses in our community – and now, they need our help more than ever,” she said. “During this difficult time, consumers can help local businesses stay alive by shopping small every day by trying a new restaurant, shopping at a small retailer or finding a unique holiday gift from local artisans and makers.”
Staff writers Hunter Lee, David Rosenfeld and Michael Sprague contributed reporting.
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