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Ready, set, shop
Published November 26, 2009
For Louise Harper, the day after Thanksgiving has become a bigger ritual than turkey day itself.
“I live for Black Friday,” said Harper, scoping out potential gifts at the River Hills Mall last weekend in preparation for the surge of sales typically associated with the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Harper and her two sisters have made a tradition of kicking off the holiday shopping season together.
“I think it’s great because our family is spread out,” she said. “I have one sister in Dallas and another in Galveston. We’re usually all together for Thanksgiving so we can all go shopping together the next day.”
Harper said she usually tries to do the lion’s share of her Christmas shopping on Black Friday to get it all out of the way, but Jim Franklin, of Ingram, spreads his shopping out through the month of December, and never ventures out on Black Friday.
“It’s all a scam as far as I’m concerned,” Franklin said. “There is no reason to go out and do all your shopping on the same day everyone else does. The stores will have sales all month.”
Yet others choose to avoid the stores altogether, opting to shop online instead. The popularity of online shopping has grown so much that a new tradition, Cyber Monday, has emerged in recent years.
“Online shopping is definitely the easiest route to go, much less hassle,” said Linda Boreman, of Kerrville. “I’d gladly pay shipping and handling to avoid going to the mall.”
However you choose to shop, there are a number of tips to ensure a smooth and pleasant holiday shopping experience.
For those shopping on a budget, the National Retail Federation suggest these tips:
Spread out your holiday purchases throughout the year or at least throughout the holiday season. Shopping last minute often results in making additional purchases you don’t need, because you are feeling rushed and frenzied.
Make a list of absolutely everyone you need to buy for and how much you plan to spend on them before visiting any store or Web site, and stick to it.
Sign up to receive e-mails from your favorite retailers. NRF is anticipating an extremely promotional holiday season and many sales may only be offered to a retailer’s most loyal customers. Be vigilant about searching for holiday promotions in newspapers and on their Web site as well.
Use the Internet to compare prices and products before setting foot in a store. Not only will you save time by researching ahead of time, you’ll also save money on gas by not driving all over town.
Top 10 Shopping Tips
1. Shop after 6 p.m. the evening before a sale is advertised to begin. Many retailers program the registers the night before, so the sale may already come up in the register even if they have not changed out signs on the selling floor yet. Ask the associate in advance for any possible upcoming sales, especially on big ticket items.
2. Prepare a list to use while you are shopping. Make sure to include alternative selections in case you are unable to find some of the items on your list.
3. Avoid crowds by shopping during stores’ early and late extended hours.
4. If you are looking for specific advertised items, take the complete ad with you so that you don’t end up in the wrong store looking for a specific price.
5. Staple a gift receipt to the merchandise tag in case it needs to be returned or exchanged. Keep your original receipts with any warranty paperwork for the life of the warranty.
6. Remember when gift shopping you are buying for someone else’s wants and needs, not your own. But don’t be afraid to take full advantage of holiday promotions to treat yourself to something nice.
7. Shop safely. Watch your personal belongings at all times, including handbags and purchases. The stores are not responsible for any lost items so be careful, especially at the register when you can get easily distracted by the transaction itself.
8. Save yourself the headache. Have your gifts wrapped at the mall. This will save you a lot of time and free you up to do other things on your holiday to-do lists.
9. When shopping online, have your credit cards and address book handy. Many Web sites have timed windows to complete a transaction, so you need to have shipping information at your fingertips.
10. When walking through the mall or down Main Street, wear comfortable shoes! You’ll be walking on a lot of marble, concrete and tile.
Source: National Retail Federation Web site
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