BROOKFIELD — Despite the pandemic Black Friday shopping at malls went on; however, it looked different than years past.
Shoppers at the Corners of Brookfield said the experience was different but they appreciate the safety measures.
"It’s just a sense of normalcy. Something we do every year and this year is no different," said Evelyn Martin.
"I bought furniture, houseware, knives from Sendik's," said Lily Buschkopf.
The deals continued for holiday shoppers, but this time the mall required face masks, and often lines outside stores were to help with social distancing, not for doorbuster type deals.
This as the Centers for Disease Control described shopping in crowded stores around Thanksgiving as a "higher risk activity."
The Corners of Brookfield increased efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, something every industry is facing.
"We set a really high standard in terms of safety in terms of...you could see around you in terms of signage to an in terms of safety apparatus like gels and wipes and all of that. The stores have done exactly the same," said Robert Gould, CEO of Corners of Brookfield.
"I’m happy to be out and enjoying. It also makes us feel safer," said Evalyn.
The mall said there's more cleaning, more security, and they expanded curbside pick-up locations for customers who prefer not to go indoors.
Gould thinks they will see similar traffic to last year adding their mostly outdoor shopping experience is an advantage.
