July 14, 2020
Ever since the coronavirus reared its ugly head, the “new normal” has been anything but for many of us. But time marches on, and now, as the first pandemic holiday season approaches, many people are wondering what a “new normal” holiday season looks like.
The truth is that nobody really knows, and we won’t know until we’ve actually experienced one. Everybody’s experience will undoubtedly be different, depending on our individual circumstances. But, if holiday shopping will still be a part of your holiday experience this year, you may have to put a little more thought and planning into it than usual. Here are a few tips that could prove helpful as you begin to navigate your 2020 holiday shopping.
Try to Shop Early
According to a Radial survey, 41% of shoppers say they don’t intend to begin shopping for the holidays any earlier than they normally do. But this could be a mistake. Supply chain disruptions continue due to COVID-19, and inventory for many items is lower than normal. Delivery times may also be slower this year than during pre-pandemic holiday seasons.
Factor in an increased demand for many products and an anticipated rise in online sales, and you may not be able to get the holiday items you want if you don’t plan ahead. If you’re one of the 60% of people who plan to do less in-store shopping this year, it’s especially important to start early to increase your chances of getting everything you want, when you want it. So give yourself some extra wiggle room in your holiday shopping calendar this year to prepare for the unknown.
In-Store vs. Online Shopping
If standing in long lines on Thanksgiving night or into the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday is part of your holiday shopping tradition, you may have to make other plans this year. Stores in many states have capacity restrictions because of the pandemic, which could make lines and wait times even longer than usual. And traditional Black Friday sales as we know them are likely to be few and far between this year due to social-distancing and other pandemic restrictions. In fact, as of early October 2020, many stores, including Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Kohls, will be closed on Thanksgiving.
The good news is that many of these stores plan to start holiday sales and deals much earlier this year, and many of these bargains should be available online.
If you plan to venture into brick-and-mortar stores, make sure you prepare properly before setting out on your shopping trips. Carrying items like masks and hand sanitizer with you could help to keep you and others safer, and making detailed shopping lists before departing for the stores should contribute to getting you in and out of stores more quickly.
If you’re planning on doing most of your shopping online, understand that, with the increase in online shopping that’s expected, there may also be an accompanying increase in fraudsters attempting to steal your personal information or identity. So, take precautions to protect your personal information when shopping online, including making purchases from secure websites that you know and trust; using strong, unique passwords that aren’t easy to guess; and avoiding the use of public Wi-Fi networks for your online shopping.
Set Spending Limits
This year has been a hard year for many and economically devastating for some. With job furloughs and layoffs, retirement account losses, and having to dive into savings and emergency funds just to make ends meet, the prospect of spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the holidays just isn’t realistic for many families.
Given this new reality, perhaps the best advice anyone could give is to embrace it and keep things real by not spending money you just don’t have. So, if your Thanksgiving typically includes both a turkey and a ham, this may be the year to make do with just turkey. Or, if you celebrate Christmas and typically buy a gift for everyone in your family, perhaps this is the year to draw names and only buy a gift for the person whose name you draw—and to set spending limits and stick to them.
It’s easy to think that holidays are all about all of the accoutrements and trimmings, but they’re actually about family and being grateful and celebrating life by spending time together. This could be the year to reset your focus on family—so long as you’re being safe and socially distancing—and rediscover the true meaning of the holidays.
If you can’t be with your friends or family in person, you may want to make this the year of your very first video-conferencing holidays. Who knows, it could start a whole new successful tradition that saves you time, money, and a whole lot of stress from traveling during the holidays for many years to come.
Ideas for Gift Giving
If gift-giving is going to remain a part of your 2020/21 holiday season, this may be the year to put more thought into it than normal. Let’s face it, finding the perfect gift can be a challenge in the best of circumstances so, during a global pandemic, it may be substantially trickier.
Here are a few gift ideas that may help ease the pain of your holiday shopping this season:
This holiday season may look a bit different than most, but it doesn’t have to be ugly. Some traditions may need to be paused for a year or tweaked to keep everyone safe and accommodate the new normal. But, with a bit of planning and creativity, it’s still possible to reconnect with friends and family—even if it’s virtually—and create a joyous holiday season that could go down as one of your most memorable in many years. Maybe even of all time.