SOMERVILLE, MA — Shopping is different in 2020, but Black Friday is still on in Massachusetts. For many struggling retailers, the holiday shopping bonanza is as important as ever.
Patch has compiled Black Friday hours and deals for stores at Assembly Row. There are also scores of small businesses to support locally. Check out Patch's Massachusetts
local businesses information resource center here.
Most retailers, including those in the shopping centers below, are closed on Thanksgiving due to the state's blue laws. But all plan to reopen for Black Friday, Nov. 27.
While the list below indicates general shopping hours, some individual retailers open earlier or later on Friday. Call before shopping.
Hours
See below for special store hours and deals! Assembly Row center hours are 10am-9pm.
11/19/20 - 12/2/20
- 60% off your purchase + clearance styles just $9.98!
Converse
11/19/20 - 11/30/20
- Buy one, get one 75% off
- Plus shop the following deals on clothing and accessories
- All Clearance Fleece: $19.99
- All Clearance Tees: $5.00
- Socks: Buy One, Get One 50% Off
- All Bags: $19.99
- Clearance Laces: 4 for $1.00
Columbia
11/19/20 - 12/02/20
- Spend $100 11/1/20 - 12/120 & get $20 12/2/20-12/24/20
- Early Black Friday deals on now
- Insulate jackets starting at $59.99
- Winter boots starting at $89.99
- Fleece starting at $16.99
- $100 off intercharge jackets
Express
11/20/20-12/1/20
- Black Friday starts now: 50-70% off everything + doorbusters
- Women's
- $24+ Jeans
- $89 Outerwear
- $29 Sherpas
- $15+ Tops
- $19+ Sweaters
- $19 Dresses
- $45 Faux Fur
- $49 Puffer Jacket
- $19 Shorts + Sweatshirts
- Men's
- $29 Jeans
- $89 Outerwear
- $29 Sherpas
- $8 Tee
- $10 Polos
- $15 Waffle Shirts
- $19 All Dress Shirts
- $89 Tux jackets
- $19 Shorts + Sweatshirts
Fragrance Outlet
11/26 - 11/30
Buy one get one up to 50% off
- Discounted fragrances at $15 with any purchase
- Gift with purchase of $199 or more, receive a pair of sterling silver and CZ earrings, a $39 value*
- Gift with purchase of $149 or more, receive a 18k rose gold plated titanium necklace with CZ perfume bottle, a $49 value
Francesca's
11/22 - 11/28
- Black Friday is HERE: Shop Early & SAVE Up To 50% Off Throughout The Store Including ALL Clearance NOW $10 & Under!
J. Crew Factory
11/24/20 - 12/1/20
- 60-70% off storewide + extra 70% off clearance
Le Creuset
Black Friday sale 11/2-11/26
11/28/20 - 1/3/21
Levi's
11/21/20-12/1/20
- 50% Off Tops, Bottoms, Outerwear & Accessories
- Graphics Tees for $9.99 each
Polo Ralph Lauren
11/23 - 12/1
- Store Savings Event! 50% Off* All Apparel * Excludes Polo Bear Apparel, Ralph's Coffee Products, Clearance, and Philanthropic Merchandise
- Exclusive Product 25% Off Accessories, Home, Fragrance, Footwear, and Sleepwear
Yankee Candle
11/23/20 - 11/29/20
- Buy 3, Get 3 Free Almost Everything
- 40% off all WoodWick® Ellipse Candles. Now $17.70, reg. $29.50 ea.
- 75% off Snowman and Owl Woodland Critter Jar Candle Holders, reg. $30 ea.
11/24/20 - 11/29/20
- Festive Fragrance Lover's Tote – only $30 with $30 purchase. $100+ value!
11/26/20 - 11/27/20
- $5 Small Tumbler Candles, reg. $12.50 - $17 ea. Limit 5. Save over 70%!
Personalized Candles: Personalize yours in store in minutes, just $5 per candle. See store for details.
Terracycle: 50% off any regular priced product with the return of any YC product. 1 item per daily visit. Coupon redeemed same day as product return. No coupon stacking. No limitations by weight or product form on what can be returned.
Most national retailers are doing their best to curb crowds this year as coronavirus cases surge in most states. Many are putting in action alternative strategies — such as extending availability of online "doorbuster" deals and offering curbside pickup and delivery — in order to keep shoppers and employees safe.
"We'll still find steep discounts the day after Thanksgiving," Sara Skirboll, a retail and shopping expert with RetailMeNot, told
The Associated Press. "But for 2020, Black Friday is not the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. It's already underway, and so are the deals."
Last year, U.S. households spent an average of $511 on gifts during the winter holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte, a consultancy firm. This year, that number is projected to be about the same, with one notable uptick.
According to AP, the National Retail Federation projects more than 60 percent of consumers plan to purchase the majority of their holiday items online, compared with 56 percent last year.
If you are planning to shop in person, do your best to be prepared, Skirboll said.
"If you are someone who really enjoys strolling through store aisles and browsing to find the right gift, you may need to readjust your thinking," Skirboll said. "If you must go out in public to shop, create a list before heading to the store, and get in and out as quickly as possible."
To avoid overspending on holiday gifts, it's important to make a list, set a budget and stick to it. Also, know your shopping triggers. For example, many people can't resist a sale. But not all bargains are created equal, and shoppers should be wary of the "buy more, save more" types of deals.
"You think you are getting a better value when you see $10 off $50 or $20 off $50, but it's the same percent discount, so don't let that discount claim make you spend more,"
consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch told CNBC.
