Box Stores Manage With New Plans For Black Friday Under Pandemic Restrictions

This year's Black Friday sales are expected to look very different than in years past.

The biggest difference is when many deals started. Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have already begun some of their sales. The pre-Black Friday sales are being done to cut down on crowds inside and outside stores.

By offering nearly all of its Black Friday deals ahead of time and taking full advantage of online and curbside shopping - Best Buy is hoping to cut down on crowding this year. It's far from the only store getting a jump-start on the holiday, Target and Walmart have similar early sales.

Things will look different on the big day too - on Black Friday Best Buy, Target and Walmart will all have staff counting the number of people entering and exiting the stores. If needed, they say they'll limit the number of people inside to promote social-distancing.

Walmart says it'll handle lines outside by asking people to space out in single-file and handing out sanitized shopping carts to people waiting.

Target rolled out 1,000 additional checkout devices at its stores across the country - cutting lines inside by having staff check out customers from anywhere in the building. Each company is asking people to wear a mask and keep their distance.