MACON, Ga. — This year, businesses in downtown Macon want the presents under your Christmas tree to come from them.
Scott Mitchell is the owner of Travis Jean Emporium and he started preparing for the holidays in September.
"I think that the earlier you get your stuff up and ready, the happier your customers are. It kind of changes the whole vibe of downtown," Mitchell said.
Mitchell says his store usually sees a good turnout on Black Friday, but he is expecting this year to be bigger than the previous years, even during a pandemic.
"People are telling me all the time, 'We are intentionally shopping downtown, we don't want your business to go away, we want you here next year,'" Mitchell said.
According to Mitchell, shoppers will be able to stay safe in his store.
"We set up sanitation stations where we have sanitizer, we're doing all contactless and cashless transactions as much as possible, we have 6-feet stickers set up throughout the store so that people know how to socially distance, and we require masks," Mitchell said.
He isn't the only owner prepared.
"We follow the COVID guidelines. We have the hand sanitizers for each person that walks in. We have a salon that we wipe down before and after people come in," Robert Gray said.
Robert Gray owns Alexandra's Boutique and Salon, which opened in September.
He says he's excited for his first Black Friday as a business owner.
"We're expecting a whole variety of people coming down, shopping, and walking around. Hopefully, some will decide to walk in, have a look, and pay us a visit." Mitchell said.
Both men encourage in-person shopping, but if you have concerns about COVID-19, they say you can shop with them online.