It’s no surprise that the holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year for retailers.
There is a huge surge in demand for all kinds of gifts, from toys to jewelry to clothes. People are buying gifts for their loved ones or treating themselves to something they’ve had their eyes on for a while.
Of course, you can’t forget about the Christmas food shopping! Grocery stores and supermarkets are also in high demand as millions of families head out to fill up their baskets with all sorts of Christmas goodies.
Because everybody is buying things at the same time, Christmas shopping can get stressful. As Christmas Day approaches, you have a long list of things to buy with very limited time.
It doesn’t help that every high street store is jam-packed with others who are also doing their last-minute Christmas shopping. You end up spending half of your day stuck in queues or politely asking people if you can squeeze past them in the store to get to what you want.
So, how can you make your Christmas shopping experience as stress-free as possible?
One of the best things you can do is shop when everybody else is at home!
Whether you’re doing your Christmas Shopping at the Grand Village in Branson, MO or you’re buying from the local market this year, there will always be a few select times of the week that are much quieter than others.
Most commonly, the weekends are the busiest times of the week for retail. Those who work 9-5 are getting some retail therapy before returning to work the next Monday, and this doesn’t change around the holidays.
Most 9-5 workers will still head out to the shopping mall on a Saturday or a Sunday to buy their Christmas gifts. Therefore, if you want to avoid the Christmas shopping craze, it’s best to avoid weekend shopping at all costs.
If you also work between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm, do your shopping one evening after work. Most retailers extend their opening hours during the festive period so you will have at least 2-3 hours after work to enjoy your leisurely Christmas shopping.
The same goes for your food shopping. Grocery stores are particularly busy in the week running up to Christmas Day. People are cramming their trolleys full with turkeys, potatoes, and Brussel sprouts, ready for a delicious Christmas dinner.
While you can’t do your food shopping too far in advance, you can still avoid the last-minute rush by going to the store at quieter times, such as in the early mornings or late evenings.
Before you head out to the high street, write out a list of everything that you need to buy. Avoid window shopping or spending hours browsing through every department in each store and, instead, stick to your list. This will make your Christmas shopping quick and concise.
A final tip is to shop in order. Look at your Christmas wish list and see which things are in stores that are close to one another. Buy everything from the stores in one area before moving on to the next area. This will save you a bunch of traveling time.
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