Holiday shopping season kicks off amid pandemic, CDC urges customers to shop online

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Thanksgiving is the unofficial kick-off of the holiday shopping season, but because of COVID-19, like most things, it will look different.

Meijer is one of the few stores that was actually open on Thursday. 

After years of stores opening on Thanksgiving, a lot of places are going back to Black Friday.

The CDC ranks Black Friday shopping among the highest risk activities and suggests people stay home and shop online, and a lot of places did start Black Friday deals online earlier this week.

Because of the pandemic, places like Best Buy and Target, which have opened on Thanksgiving the last several years, are closed this year.

But places like Meijer and Mayfair Mall still opened Thursday.

The store director says Meijer was busy with people getting things they forgot -- butter and cream cheese being the biggest sellers.

"We are one of the few stores open today," said Store Director Phil Kelley. "We're gonna close at 4, which is new for us. But really we are here to take care of the community we operate in, and one of them is being there so you can get those last minute things."

Best Buy, Kohls and Walmart all open at 5 a.m. Friday, Home Depot and Meijer at 6 a.m., and Target and Mayfair Mall at 7 a.m.