In this article
In case you hadn’t noticed, the holidays are here and that means it's time to shop. But with the CDC considering Thanksgiving shopping a high-risk activity for the spread of COVID-19, your best bet for holiday shopping in 2020 might be buying your gifts online. This keeps you out of the crowds and helps prevent superspreader-types of gatherings at malls and major retailers.
If you’re trying to plan ahead for this holiday season, make sure you avoid crowds, order online early, and consider alternatives to gift-giving to make it a safe yet joyous holiday season.
Not your normal Black Friday: Do your holiday shopping online
Black Friday shopping is one of the most productive retail days of the year, but not all of it has to happen in crowded stores. More than 93.2 million buyers bought online on Black Friday in 2019. This year is sure to match, if not exceed, that. Expect to find tons of deals online as retailers embrace online deals to not only compete with other stores, but also to keep crowds out of stores.
It won’t just be Black Friday when the deals are coming either, so don’t wait too long to order. If you want items to arrive before Christmas, pay attention to shipping deadlines. Dealhack offers this must-have deadline list:
UPS Christmas shipping deadlines:
December 15: Ground shipping
December 21: 3-day select shipments
December 22: 2nd-day air shipments
December 23: Next day air shipments
USPS Christmas shipping deadlines:
December 15: Retail ground
December 18: First Class Mail
December 19: Priority Mail
December 23: Priority Mail Express
Check with retailers' shipping policies to make sure your purchase will get processed and into shipping by the required deadline. And while those deadlines are the absolute last day to get things delivered in time, expect shipping to take longer with the number of packages delivery services will have.
Holiday shopping tips when going to physical stores
You might not be able to do everything online — after all there is always that one present that you just can’t seem to get before it sells out everywhere, including online. If you find yourself shopping brick and mortar locations, be sure to follow safety guidelines. “Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year retailers will be closing their stores on Thanksgiving and severely limiting the amount of shoppers allowed in each in-store location on Black Friday,” Jon Vincent, a consumer analyst at EarlyBlackFriday, warned Mom.com readers.
When in a store, be sure to wear your mask at all times. Chances are that stores won’t even let people in without a mask, but regardless, plan on being masked up for the shopping trip. Try to give people six feet of space when possible; while this might not always be practical, be mindful of how close you are to strangers for their safety and yours. Use hand sanitizer after handling products while shopping.
Another tip to consider when shopping in a physical store is to use a credit card rather than paying cash. Most point-of-sale systems will allow you to conduct the transaction without coming in contact with the cashier. Less contact increases everyone’s safety.
Of course, if you know what you’re shopping for, check the online deals that many stores are extending beyond Black Friday. You might just be able to avoid the hassle.
Other holiday shopping safety tips
Is it safe to go Christmas tree shopping?
There is a lot up in the air when it comes to tree shopping this year. Some cities and counties are wondering if tree stands are something that should be deemed an “essential business.” If not, there could be limited opportunities to actually go out and buy a tree. You’ll probably still be able to get trees at major retailers such as The Home Depot, but there may be a limited amount of trees in this case.
If you can go tree shopping, you’ll want to practice all the same safety protocols that you do when shopping for anything during the pandemic: Mask up and keep your distance. Use hand sanitizer after touching things at the tree stand. You may want to limit the number of family members who go shopping as well. While it may be a tradition for the family to go get the tree, this year it might be safer to have one person get the tree and have everyone healthy to decorate it.
Alternatives to holiday shopping
It’s OK to have real concerns about holiday shopping this year. On top of everything else, many families have been sidelined from work thanks to business furloughs, layoffs, and closures. A grand holiday with tons of presents might not be financially practical.
If this is the case, have a candid talk with your family about the true meaning of the holiday and seek out alternatives to traditional gift giving. You may have a family Secret Santa event or have homemade gifts be the rule. Maybe you decide to spend the time baking together rather than buying material things. Or maybe emphasize the giving side of the season, and agree to donate to charitable causes.
