The holiday season figures to feel more familiar in 2021 than it did a year ago, when a global pandemic forced people to change how they celebrated and shopped. Though the pandemic is not yet in the rearview mirror, the rollout of a trio of effective vaccines should make it possible for millions of people to celebrate safely this holiday season. A return to normalcy should be welcome news for local retailers, and Black Friday could start the beginning of a busy and lucrative holiday season. With a more normal holiday season on the horizon, shoppers may benefit from a refresher course on how to get the best Black Friday deals.

• Start early. Black Friday may not begin until the day after Thanksgiving, but savvy shoppers know that many retailers post or leak their sales well in advance of the big day. Various websites are devoted to helping consumers find the best Black Friday deals. Many such websites update their listings as retailers release more sales information. Consumers can bookmark Black Friday websites and then periodically visit them to learn about the latest deals.

• Comparison shop. Getting a head start on Black Friday shopping also affords shoppers a chance to comparison shop. PriceGrabber.com makes it easy to compare deals from a wide range of retailers on everything from appliances to furniture to pet supplies.

• Confirm when stores open. Many retailers abandoned midnight store openings on Black Friday a year ago. Such decisions were made to protect public health and they may remain in place in 2021. Though it might be a family tradition to visit a retailer in the wee small hours of the Black Friday morning, the pandemic has changed the holiday shopping landscape. So confirm when stores open and close before crawling out of bed in the dark this Black Friday.

• Utilize curbside pickup to avoid crowds. Shoppers who are still nervous about COVID-19 don’t have to sit Black Friday out for the second year in a row. Various retailers started offering curbside pickup during the pandemic and that option has proven so popular that it’s stuck around even after vaccines became widely available. Shoppers with unvaccinated children at home or those who simply want to avoid crowds can safely land great deals by opting for curbside pickup this Black Friday.