How to ace online holiday shopping
Shop local, get personal and, most importantly, start as soon as you can
The act of holiday shopping, like a sweaty salmon navigating a packed mall, is an established holiday tradition, if not a beloved one.
But, like squeezing a dozen relatives around a dining table, that seasonal ritual will be very different in 2020. With the second wave of COVID firmly upon us, many Canadians are planning to eschew the in-person gift trawl and take our shopping online this year.
According to a survey conducted by the shopping site Red Flag Deals, nearly 94 per cent of Canadians are planning to do at least some shopping online this year — and 64 per cent said the internet would be the source of the “majority” of their gifts.(A mere seven per cent said they’d still be braving bricks-and-mortar for everything on their list.)
This aligns with data collected by Statistics Canada, which reported that, year-over-year, ecommerce sales doubled in May 2020, the latest month we have figures for.
As we log onto this brave new world, we’ve tapped experts to help us find the information, inspiration and shipping cutoff dates for how to ace online shopping this holiday.
When to start
As soon as possible.
Canada Post has extended its service hours (including on the weekends), but more people shopping online means slower delivery times. In an email statement, a Canada Post spokesperson said: “Canadians should start shopping as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute to send items to loved ones. As well, any items people want to ship overseas will take more time as there are fewer planes to carry cargo.”
At Nordstrom, the last day for free standard shipping is Dec. 17, or Dec.19 for expedited delivery. If you happen to miss those cut-offs, in-store or curbside pickup for your online order is usually an option up until Christmas Eve.
Sarah Power, the founder and creative director of Inland, an online platform dedicated to showcasing Canadian designers, recommends ordering gifts by the end of November at the latest.
Even sooner is better, though, if you’re shopping with local designers or artisans, who often make-to-order, resulting in longer lead times.
“We share our screens and go through our shopping carts. It started as a joke about how much we had been online shopping, but it turned into an hour or more of really great conversation and laughs.” SARAH POWER INLAND FOUNDER ON VIRTUAL SHOPPING SESSIONS WITH FRIENDS
How to navigate the sheer volume of options online
Many retailers have been getting creative with ways to connect with their customers. Nordstrom, for example, now has “gifting experts” available via online appointments.
“They can assist with all your shopping needs,” says Tori Ludwig, styling sales manager (and a gifting expert, in fact) at Nordstrom Toronto Eaton Centre.
Like many retailers, Nordstrom now offers online “wish lists,” which act as gift registries.
“Customers can create and share wish lists to get everything that they want this year,” says Ludwig. “You can also save gift ideas for others.”
How to ship gifts directly to your giftees
You’ll need to shop with a retailer who gives you the option to ship to another recipient and then asks you some version of “Is this item a gift?,” which generally unlocks the ability to select gift wrapping and include a note.
Gift wrapping is available at most retailers for a small fee, while including a message is often complimentary. Sephora, Indigo and Etsy are among the retailers who offer this.
If it’s a smaller brand, it’s worth emailing them directly to ask what the options are.
How to avoid the allure of Amazon and instead shop local
The demand is certainly there: Google recently reported that searches for shopping local are up 190 per cent in 2020.
Businesses are responding. Since the pandemic, says Power, “most neighbourhood shops have adapted to include ecomm.” Inland itself features more than 40 Canadian designers, offering fashion, shoes, jewelry and more.
“Customers can virtually ‘meet’ designers through a series of short, personal video messages, while learning about the brand’s founding story, values and process,” says Power.
In some cases, designers are also available for 1:1 virtual fit and style consultations. (Inland has also partnered with Hudson’s Bay as a discovery portal to spotlight Canadian design talent.)
Ultimately, Power says, it’s the personal connection that she misses most about in-person shopping. In an attempt to recreate it, she’s been having online shopping sessions with friends.
“We share our screens and go through our shopping carts,” she says, adding that music, snacks and a glass of wine add to the ambience.
“It started as a joke about how much we had been online shopping, but it turned into an hour or more of really great conversation and laughs.”