Holiday shopping in a pandemic year
Holiday shopping is looking a lot different this year, whether you’re trying new ways to pick up presents or opting to ship your gifts because you’re not traveling home to celebrate.
Here’s what you need to know before the busy holiday shopping season.
Holiday shipping deadlines
Let’s get this in the clear first. If you plan to ship your gifts cross-country this year — or even just to a friend in Dallas — you have a certain deadline to get your packages in the post.
For the U.S. Postal Service’s Ground Service, which allows you to mail packages up to 70 pounds, you must ship by Dec. 15 to get it by Christmas Day.
Packages shipped by Priority Mail are due by Dec. 19. And the absolute latest drop-dead Christmas shipping deadline is Dec. 23 for Priority Mail Express, which will cost you a pretty penny.
If you plan to ship
through FedEx or UPS, the ship dates are similar — you need to drop off gifts for ground shipping by Dec. 15, with some faster shipping options available through Dec. 23.
One thing is certain: no matter which shipping option you choose, get it in early. USPS expects customer traffic to double the week of Dec. 7 and expects shipping volume to hit its peak the week of Dec. 14, according to its website.
Both FedEx and UPS will charge additional fees for people shipping during peak season, ranging from an extra 30 cents per package to as much as $250 for oversized parcels.
Buying a gift
Expecting to shop on Black Friday? Think again.
The pandemic has made it increasingly unlikely that people will want to crowd into bigbox retailers to pick up flat-screen TVs and halfoff makeup sets.
Holiday shopping in Houston is expected to plunge by nearly 25 percent this year, the Houston Chronicle’s Amanda Drane reports. While malls like the Galleria and CityCentre are bustling again, people are still hesitant to spend large amounts on lavish gifts because of the COVIDdriven recession, researchers said.
How people shop is also affecting what gets bought. Some consumers are more comfortable doing curbside pickup, using package lockers in apartment complexes and grocery stores, or buying online. While several stores in local shopping malls are offering curbside pickup, not all are. Call ahead or use mall directories to figure out their delivery or pickup options.
“People can also plan shopping during less crowded times of day, and should wear a mask, social distance and bring hand sanitizer,” the Houston Health Department said in a statement.
If you’re looking for a deal, retailers are advertising sales for the entire month, although some of the biggest savings will come from online Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
But what do you buy in a pandemic? Retail analysts predict buyers will shy away from experience-based gifts such as spa certificates and winery tours, according to consumer research firm The NPD Group. Those kinds of presents aren’t as useful when people are expected to stay home.
Instead, physical gifts — think board games and books — are a better bet.
Buy early in case retailers deliver slowly. Retail associations expect product shortages of toys and other common gifts this year, the same way baking supplies, bicycles and kiddie pools faced temporary shortages earlier in the pandemic.
“While you will be able to find an array of product on store shelves, if you are looking for specific toys, the earlier you shop the better,” said Adrienne Appell, a spokesperson for the Toy Association, a trade group. “With the pandemic there will definitely be an increased number of online shopping, so shipping delays can also occur.”
Saving money safely
Many people are turning to social media and online marketplaces like OfferUp and eBay to pick up gifts.
Just be careful about buying things that may seem too good to be true. A $100 never-used grill is probably not as good of a steal as you think it is — in fact, it may be a literal steal, said Christina Cornell, a spokesperson for The Home Depot.
Buying from an online marketplace could result in getting scammed or accidentally buying stolen goods.
“If a product is described as brand new, new in box or new with tags, you should start asking ‘Well, why would someone need to be reselling that instead of returning it?,’” Cornell said.
There’s also a chance that you’re buying counterfeit goods by purchasing off “marketplace” sections or from a thirdparty seller. You can avoid this by getting it from a big-box retailer or reputable store. Buyers can look up reviews for stores on websites such as the Better Business Bureau’s to ensure the sellers are legitimate.
You can file a complaint with an online marketplace if you’re suspicious of stolen or counterfeit goods. If you want to be sure you’re not buying something stolen, ask for a receipt or better yet, buy the item in store or from the retailer’s website.
Online gift card listings could also lead you down a rabbit hole of trouble. Gift card sales through online marketplaces may net you a deal, but they come with the risk of getting a card with no balance or purchasing a store credit that’s linked to someone else’s name, rendering you unable to use it. If you plan to give a gift card this year, buy it from the retailer.