DOTHAN, Ala.— Many locally-owned businesses around Dothan are getting prepared for Black Friday a little differently this year due to COVID-19.
Stores like Rudd Furniture have started posting items on their Facebook page and promoting sales early.
“It’s going to start tomorrow on Wednesday the day before and then of course on Black Friday we’re gonna promote a few more,” Rudd Furniture owner Jason Rudd said. “But all day Thanksgiving day we’re gonna be promoting the items. There will be pictures so everybody will know what’s available.”
Rudd said the store will follow CDC guidelines and ask customers to wear masks if they plan to come into the store.
The store Hissy Fits said it recognizes the nationwide rise in COVID-19 cases rise. That’s why it will be holding sales all week. It’s an effort to spread customers over several days.
“We will have Black Friday specials as well as small business Saturday, and those sales will continue all the way through Cyber Monday,” Hissy Fits manager Lindsay McDuffie said. “So not only are we going to have all of our customers in here at one day, we’re kind of letting them spread out throughout the week by having different sales.”
The store Love 2 Run is also holding early sales to avoid large crowds.
“For Black Friday we’re gonna try to keep social distancing up, and we’re gonna have the sales running all week long,” Love 2 Run sales associate Dylan Wiley said. “So hopefully we’re not going to have too many big crowds and it’ll keep it lower so we’ll have more distance for people to stay spread apart.”
Love 2 Run is also helping the Wiregrass Food Bank by offering people who bring five canned goods 15 percent off their purchase. Ten canned goods earn 20 percent off.
