The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything so there's no reason to believe holiday shopping will be any different this year.
"I would definitely not go into the mall, and I'm a shopper," Katherine Nolan of Hull said Friday.
Black Friday is the next COVID-19 frontier and it's difficult to know what to expect from this year's annual retail crush.
"I think there will be an uptick, but I think it will be less than normal," Marcia Appell of Newton said.
For now, retailers say they aren't planning any extra COVID-19 precautions for Black Friday beyond the current mandates, which limit 10 people per 1,000 square feet of retail space and the occupancy of common mall space to 50%.
Social distancing signs, one-way aisle markers and face coverings are also a must.
"You don't see the lines and frankly we don't anticipate lines even during the holiday shopping season," said Jon Hurst of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.
Hurst said retailers have been working during the pandemic to redefine the way people shop.
"The consumers are getting the same kind of barnburner deals now. They don't have to wait until
Friday morning," Hurst said.
Habits have definitely change with things like online shopping and curbside pickup. Experts predict the retail crowds will be down this year.
"Some people are having a really hard time financially. And if they think they'll be able to save some money, they may just take the risk. I hope they won't," Cynthia Butler of Newton said.
One positive development, the pandemic has helped to shift the focus of shoppers to small retail stores where they can avoid large crowds.
