Think It’s Too Early To Buy Christmas Presents? Here’s Why You Should Start Shopping Now
In the retail world, it’s already beginning to look at lot like Christmas. For many Americans, cheerful carols and festive vistas of green and red in malls signal the longest shopping season of the year.
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Unless you are a thrill-seeker or someone who can carry out a Christmas shopping mission with efficiency and ease, you could be one of the frantic many leaving their Christmas shopping until the last minute.
Back in 2020, PRNewswire reported on a Klarna survey of over 40,000 American consumers — and found that 79% of shoppers did some gift buying within two weeks of Christmas. A full 64% of these procrastinating consumers planned to do the last of their shopping in-store (and this was during the pandemic).
It doesn’t have to be that way again this year. If you haven’t already started your Christmas shopping, now is the perfect time to begin. By buying your presents early, the only things you’ll need to worry about are finding room to hide your gifts and keeping prying eyes (and hands) away from them.
Here are several reasons why you should start your Christmas shopping early this year.
Avoid Supply Disruptions and Shipping Delays
As CBS reported, experts are predicting another holiday season marred by supply disruptions. This year, clogs at Los Angeles ports threaten to delay delivery across the country, while rail and truck operators everywhere are severely understaffed. If this trend isn’t reversed, there might be a growing number of undelivered gifts sitting in the glut of shipping containers stranded at ports.
Beat a Possible Inflation Hike
There is no guarantee that the already-lofty inflation rate and consumer prices won’t climb before the holiday season arrives. Retailers are responding to concerns by staging sales earlier. As Mark Mathews of the National Retail Federation told The Washington Examiner, “In the past, we had thought about the holiday season starting with Black Friday, but really, many shoppers are shopping well before that for Christmas — into October.”
Spread Out Your Holiday Budget
The Life’s Moments blog offered a number of good reasons to shop for Christmas early, but spreading out your money (and stress) is its best. This is especially important if you’re buying for many friends or family members. Spreading costs over a longer period of time makes it easier to manage your holiday budget — and it’s less likely that you will overspend.
Take Advantage of Sales Earlier Rather Than Later
Retailers love to hype Black Friday and back to school sales, and while there are bargains to be had at those times, stores feature promotions throughout the year. Stores don’t need to run sales in December, because they know late shoppers are going to buy anyway. Now is a great time to pick up items at a cheaper price, as stores often want to switch over inventory before the busy winter holiday season.
Avoid the Crowds
In the two weeks leading up to Christmas, the crowds are fierce. Fighting for a parking spot, standing in endless lines, butting heads with another parent for the last desired toy on the shelf… it’s just not worth it. Shopping when its quiet and calm will afford you the time to think about what you want to buy and will give you the advantage of an employee’s help if needed.
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The Weather is Better
Depending on where you live, winter is a hazardous and often miserable time to be driving and walking. The best way to avoid inclement weather — or getting harried by snow and ice — is by doing your shopping before the poor weather arrives.
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