The New Black Friday: Amazon, Target, Best Buy And Others Kicking Off Holiday Sales

Some of the nation’s largest retailers will begin rolling out Black Friday sales this weekend — earlier than ever and the latest sign of how the pandemic is reshaping the biggest shopping season of the year. Walmart, Target, and other major brands were spurred to push up their holiday timetables by Amazon’s decision to move Prime Day, which is usually in July, to October. It’s a signature event for the e-commerce giant, generating an estimated $7.16 billion in sales last year, according to research firm Digital Commerce 360. Most large retailers are going dark on Thanksgiving Day, reversing a years-long tradition of kicking off the holiday shopping season with a rush of “doorbuster” deals. It’s part of a larger reimagining of the retail experience because of the pandemic, one designed to accommodate social distancing and new safety protocols, and minimize long lines, crowded malls and repeat shopping trips. Read more at The Washington Post.