Taylor Swift Merch, Snow Globes and Contests: Retailers Want You in Stores on Black Friday [Video]

Don’t let locked display cases and finicky self-checkout stations fool you. Retailers really want you in their stores this holiday season.

That goes double for Black Friday, with brands hoping for a surge in foot traffic on the day after Thanksgiving. Experts say companies would rather ring up customers at registers than online, where widespread promotions and shipping costs eat into margins, while businesses have a better shot at nudging people to buy more stuff in their real-world shops. 

Many retailers are trying to capitalize with in-store specials this year. Target (TGT) will launch sales of a book about Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour in brick-and-mortars, along with vinyl and CD versions of her last album, before offering them online a day later. Kohl’s (KSS) will hold a sweepstakes with prizes including a Florida vacation. JCPenney (JCP) will hand out snow globes.

Their goals are the same: get you in the …