It’s Black Friday Week and lots is going on:

On Friday, some of your local record stores will be participating in the Record Store Day Black Friday events and will have exclusive merchandise collectors will want to have a look at. Go grab that mask and hand sanitizer and enjoy.

Speaking of COVID-19, Best Buy Canada has decided to offer “Quick and Easy Store Pickups” so you will be able to get your purchases curbside for “in as little as an hour” in some locations. This option should be listed during the checkout process and extended curbside pickup hours are available at some stores.

Curbside pickup and/or free shipping are also available at select Chapters / Indigo book stores, Michaels art and craft stores, The Source and Bad Boy electronics stores, The Bay department stores, Staples Canada office supply stores, IKEA and The Brick home furnishing stores, Canadian Tire and home improvements stores like TSC/Peavey Mart, Lowes, Home Depot and Home Hardware.

You’ll notice that some locations will be open earlier than usual, like my local Lowes location which is open at 6 AM. This is due to the line-ups, which will probably be an issue because of the maximum occupancy rules that have been set up to avoid the propagation of this disease.

To avoid these longs lines, ordering online is a better option (if not the only option). And if you don’t have a credit card you can always pick up gift cards for some of the aforementioned retailers at your local convenience store, gas station or pharmacy.

Amazon Cash is an option for Amazon Canada shoppers, which allows people to load cash or money from their debit card into an account at Canada Post Outlets, MacEwen convenience stores/gas stations, Mobile gas stations and participating 7 Eleven, Circle K and Hasty Market convenience stores.

Paypal and debit options are also available at some retailers, so you might want to investigate what options are listed on their web site.

By the way, professional speaker retailer Sonos, office supply site 123ink.ca and online electronics retailer Newegg Canada are also having Black Friday week sales. And you should also note there are also great deals to be had online from American retailers Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Entertainment Earth, although you should account for delays at customs for foreign orders.

Canada Post had warned of Christmas volumes for some time now but there should only be slight delays for domestic shipments. And some retailers are using independent shippers to deliver locally so look for that option as well.