Black Friday 2020: Tampa Bay Mall Hours, Shopping Forecast, Deals

D'Ann Lawrence White
·6 min read

TAMPA BAY, FL - The race is on for the biggest bargains and hottest gifts this holiday season.

This year's post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy, including the Black Friday gift grab, Small Business Saturday love fest and Cyber Monday's click-a-thon is expected to increase retail sails by 3.5 percent and 4.1 percent to more than $3.9 trillion, according to the National Retail Federation.

That's not bad considering all the uncertainty lingering from the trade war, coronavirus and the presidential election.

“The nation’s record-long economic expansion is continuing, and consumers remain the drivers of that expansion,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “With gains in household income and wealth, lower interest rates and strong consumer confidence, we expect another healthy year ahead. There are always wild cards we cannot control like coronavirus and a politically charged election year. But when it comes to the fundamentals, our economy is sound and consumers continue to lead the way.”

The NRF said retail sales grew for the sixth month in a row in October, with sales significantly better than the same time a year ago as the economy continued to recover and consumers began their holiday shopping early.

“Overall, retail sales were up 10.6 percent in October 2020 versus October 2019, and for the first 10 months of this year, retail sales were up 6.4 percent versus the first 10 months of 2019," Shay said.

“Consumers have proven their resilience and willingness to spend as we head into the heart of the holiday season and retailers continue to demonstrate their commitment and ability to ensure safe shopping environments for their customers and their associates, with deep discounts, robust inventory and great experiences whether in-store or online,” he said.

Although the pandemic continued to affect households and businesses, NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said retail sales remain on track.

“The steady expansion of retail sales is good news against the background of these unusual economic circumstances and climbing virus cases in recent weeks," he said. "Early holiday shopping appears to have supported the increase in sales. The rise in COVID-19 cases continues to be a factor that weighs on consumer perceptions, sentiment and spending and there could be retrenchment if we cannot thwart this latest wave. Nonetheless, retailers are well-prepared to safely fulfill holiday shopping lists."

The U.S. Census Bureau said overall retail sales in October were up 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted from September and up 5.7 percent year-over-year.

NRF’s calculation of retail sales – which excludes automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants to focus on core retail – showed October was up 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted from September and up 10.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

October’s sales results come as NRF’s latest research shows 42 percent of consumers started their holiday shopping sooner than usual this year. NRF has urged consumers to shop safe and shop early, and 59 percent had begun by early November, up from 49 percent at that point a decade ago.

Consumers surveyed for NRF by Prosper Insights & Analytics plan to spend an average $997.79, down $50 from 2019 as they focus on gifts rather than purchases for themselves.

October gains were led by online sales, which were up both month-over-month and year-over-year thanks largely to the shift of Amazon Prime Day and related online promotions to October from July. Seven out of nine retail categories saw year-over-year increases.

  • Online and other non-store sales were up 26.3 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Electronics and appliance stores were down 3.3 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Building materials and garden supply stores were up 17 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Health and personal care stores were up 3.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Grocery and beverage stores were up 11.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Furniture and home furnishings stores were up 5.8 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • General merchandise stores were up 4.8 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Sporting goods stores were up 14.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

  • Clothing and clothing accessory stores were down 11.3 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

According to the personal finance website, WalletHub's 2020’s Best Places to Shop on Black Friday, most consumers are planning to shop online rather than in-store. WalletHub surveyed nearly 7,000 deals from 26 of the biggest U.S. retailers’ 2020 Black Friday ad scans to identify the stores offering the biggest discounts in various product categories such as “Appliances,” “Jewelry” and “Toys.”

The following are some highlights from the report:

  • 1. JCPenney (56.71%)

  • 2. Macy's (55.97%)

  • 3. Kohl's (51.87%)

  • 4. Belk (50.01%)

  • 5. Lenovo (44.06%)

  • 6. Nordstrom (39.05%)

  • 7. GameStop (38.81%)

  • 8. Office Depot and OfficeMax (33.29%)

  • 9. The Home Depot (32.07%)

  • 10. Meijer (32.02%)

JCPenney has the highest overall discount rate at 56.71 percent, whereas Ace Hardware has the lowest at 8.63 percent.

The average discount for Black Friday is 32 percent. Consumers should aim for this discount amount or higher to avoid Black-Friday traps.

The “Computer & Phones” category has one of the biggest shares of discounted items, 15.85 percent of all offers, whereas the “Books, Movies & Music” category has the smallest at 2.74 percent. Also see WalletHub's 2020’s Black Friday Ads: Find the Best Deals.

This is good news for Tampa Bay malls, which are preparing for the onslaught of Black Friday bargain hunters albeit wearing masks and social distancing.

For Tampa Bay residents who are planning Black Friday shopping sprees, here's a rundown of the hours the malls will be open Nov. 27:

  • International Plaza and Bay Street, 2223 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

  • Westfield Citrus Park, 8021 Citrus Park Town Center, Tampa – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

  • Tampa Bay Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive, Lutz – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

  • Westfield Countryside, 27001 U.S. 19 N., Clearwater – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

  • University Mall, 2200 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa - Thursday, closed; Black Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

  • WestShore Plaza, 250 WestShore Plaza, Tampa – Thanksgiving, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m..; Black Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

  • Gulf View Square Mall, 9409 U.S. 19, Port Richey – Thursday, closed; Black Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

  • Hyde Park Village, 744 S. Village Circle, Tampa – Thanksgiving, closed; Black Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.




This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch