(NewsNation Now) — After months of falling sales and business bankruptcies, Black Friday offers the U.S. economy a sliver of hope.
Traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, it draws millions eager to get started on their holiday spending. And while it appeared threatened by the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the pandemic seemed all but forgotten in many parts of the country as shoppers lined up for bargains.
After the economic slump they’ve suffered for most of 2020, retailers say they need this Black Friday more than ever— and the National Retail Federation predicts it just might deliver. With a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, the NRF is expecting a strong finish to the year, with holiday sales increasing over 2019 to over 3-quarters of a trillion dollars.
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: A JC Penny employee checks out a customer at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Black Friday shoppers in masks and PPE make the rounds to different stores at the Franklin Park Mall looking for Black Friday deals on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Black Friday shoppers in masks and PPE make the rounds to different stores at the Franklin Park Mall looking for Black Friday deals on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Signs urging social distancing and masks line the windows of most shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Signs urging social distancing and masks line the windows of most shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: A JC Penny employee wipes down a cash register at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Shoppers looking for Black Friday deals wait in lines outside of shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Black Friday shoppers in masks and PPE make the rounds to different stores at the Franklin Park Mall looking for Black Friday deals on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Shoppers looking for Black Friday deals wait in lines outside of shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Black Friday shoppers in masks and PPE make the rounds to different stores at the Franklin Park Mall looking for Black Friday deals on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Shoppers looking for Black Friday deals wait in lines outside of shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) 
TOLEDO, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Shoppers looking for Black Friday deals wait in lines outside of shops at the Franklin Park Mall during the Black Friday sales event on November 27, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. Throughout Ohio and the midwest new cases of Covid-19 have exploded and now threaten to bring on another round of shutdowns and lockdowns going into the holiday season. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
Sadly, medical experts predict we may pay a high price in new coronavirus cases and deaths.
In Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, shoppers weren’t social distancing but fighting among themselves in a packed line outside a Game Stop, waiting for a chance to buy a Sony PlayStation 5.
NewsNation affiliate KTVI put its helicopter over a St. Louis-area outlet mall and found big crowds, long lines and not much personal space.
Inside stores, retailers were monitoring occupancy levels and sanitizing every surface they could, while keeping customers moving. Shoppers were impressed by the efficiency.
“Most people stayed six feet apart,” noted Jay Countryman of Dolgeville, New York. “They get you in and they get you out.”
Stores and shopping malls opened later on this Black Friday. Many were filled by mid-morning, although some people said they were very happy to stay home this year.
“I’m afraid until I get that vaccine,” one would-be shopper told our affiliate in Memphis.
Experts expect on-line shopping to be up at least 20 to 30 percent this year, with curbside pickup becoming a very popular option.
At stores, the biggest lines are reserved for the gaming systems, TVs and computers, but shoppers were out in droves for other items— and other reasons. Some say concern about another increase in Covid-19 infections kept them home; others say that’s the reason they came out.
”We just wanted to make sure that if anything did happen and if we do need to shut down for everyone’s safety that we have everything done,” said Cameo White of Abilene, Texas, “so we can still have as close to a normal Christmas as possible.”