The typical holiday shopping season, from November to January, is an important time for most retailers. With Black Friday, Christmas gifts and Boxing Day sales, holiday sales were predicted to amount to $1.147 trillion and $1.152 trillion in 2019, accounting for a large percentage of total sales for many retailers. Unfortunately, with the pandemic underway, lower in-store capacities, financial instability, and stay-at-home orders are expected to create a very different holiday shopping season.
With the number of bankruptcies at a 10-year high due to the ongoing pandemic, it's no surprise that retailers are struggling. Although non-essential businesses have re-opened across the country, a threat of a second wave remains, which could lead to further store closures.
Article was originally published in RIS News
Think about some of the busiest times of the year for retail business. Black Friday, holidays, blowout and clearance sales, back to school, and other special events draw some of the biggest crowds stores ever see. Some stores draw long lines no matter what time of year it is, like cell phone companies and big-box retailers. Customers dread the long shopping queues and often wish they could continue to shop until they can easily check out. As a business owner, wouldn’t you love the extra chance to let them continue to shop?
