MUSKEGON, MI – It’s the most wonderful time of the year – for shopping, that is.
The busiest shopping weekend of the year is right around the corner, and Muskegon retailers are working diligently to prepare for incoming shoppers while also adhering to safety guidelines amid a surging coronavirus pandemic.
While Black Friday shopping may look a bit different than usual this year – with mandated mask use, social distancing and limited capacity – Muskegon shoppers can still plan to take advantage of sweet deals at Lakes Mall on Friday, or support local downtown businesses for “Small Business Saturday.”
“We are working to bring the holiday spirit into the shopping experience,” said Tom Suszka, Lakes Mall general manager, in a prepared statement to MLive.
“It is our goal to make the holiday season as ‘normal’ as possible, while adhering to all CDC guidelines and regulations to ensure the health and safety of all our patrons during these uncertain times.”
The Lakes Mall, at 5600 Harvey St., will have enhanced cleaning services, social distancing and contactless service during the busy shopping weekend, Suszka said. The mall will be open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.
As the coronavirus surges across Michigan – especially in Muskegon County, where the COVID-19 test positivity rate is a whopping 22% – state health officials have ordered restrictions on gatherings and guidelines for shoppers for the upcoming shopping season.
Stores have been limited to 30% capacity by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
But the health guidelines won’t stop Muskegon retailers from safely offering their services to shoppers this year, said Muskegon Business Development Manager Dave Alexander.
The city is encouraging consumers to “shop small” this weekend for Small Business Saturday, a time for holiday shoppers to patronize their local, independent retailers.
With dozens of shops to choose from, shoppers can utilize a trolley this weekend to travel back-and-forth between downtown shops and the Lakeside District, Muskegon’s historic shopping district.
“The tram will get you out and about so you can support both areas, giving you easy access to get around,” Alexander told MLive.
Alexander said it’s tough to predict how many people will feel comfortable enough to go out shopping this weekend amid the pandemic. But he said no matter how many people show up, shopkeepers will be masked up to keep visitors as safe as possible.
“Will it be a normal shopping Saturday, where we would have thousands of shoppers through Lakeside and downtown throughout the course of the day? I’m not sure,” Alexander said. “But we want people to be out and enjoying the outdoors and going into shops as they feel comfortable with.”
Now more than ever before, it’s important for consumers to support Muskegon’s small businesses and keep them up and running amid the economic challenges of the pandemic, Alexander said.
“We need to keep these local businesspeople – who are neighbors, who are friends, who are employing many with their businesses – we need to keep them supported and going through what could be very difficult economic times the next three or four or five months,” he said.
“We want to have these businesses in a position to pick back up and just thrive again when things go back to normal, whenever that will be.”
Since the closure of the Muskegon Mall, which was torn down for redevelopment in 2003, the city has been working hard to rebuild its retail scene.
“We are a fledgling retail center, ever since the Muskegon Mall went away 20 years ago,” Alexander said. “We’ve been building back, brick by brick, building by building and retailer by retailer to provide some very high quality, unique shopping experiences that are independent and local.”
More on MLive:
Retailers hope to cut COVID risk – but not revenue – for ‘the most unusual Black Friday in history’
These tips could save you from Black Friday, Cyber Monday scams
Mackinac Island hotels, resorts roll out Black Friday, Cyber Monday deals
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November 26, 2020 at 07:29PM
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