The closing weeks of the year are upon us and with them, comes the deluge of stress and overspending that always accompanies the Christmas festivities. With the average household spending thousands on presents, food, and events, businesses go into overdrive trying to grab as big a slice of the spending bonanza as possible.
With a dizzying amount of sales, discounts and convoluted festive offers, it can be difficult to navigate the period and make sure you’re truly getting the maximum amount of bang for your buck. If you want to get the absolute best value from your Christmas shopping experience this year, simply read this handy guide.
Avoid Love at First Sight
One of the biggest rookie mistakes that Christmas shoppers make is falling for the window display. Market research conducted by Google shows that a significant chunk of shoppers tend to buy the first thing that they see that matches what they’re looking for, both online and in-store. The items displayed most prominently are unlikely to be the best offers, so resist panic buying and take the time to shop around.
Know What You’re Looking For
Having a solid game plan should always be a priority. If you have a nebulous idea of what you’re looking to buy, you’re almost definitely going to end up spending more than you need to. Figure out exactly what gifts you’re looking to get each person and focus your search on that. One of the worst things you can do is head into Macy’s in the hope that you’ll stumble across the perfect gifts by chance. This is a surefire way to spend more money on gifts that aren’t wanted.
Know Your Promotions
The holiday period is the most competitive time of year for businesses, all of which will be vying for your custom with Christmas promotions and sales. All promotions are not created equal and a little bit of research can help find you the best price for your gifts. Devote a solid chunk of time to scanning all of the websites for major retailers such as Amazon, or sites which offer both online and in-store experiences such as Nordstrom. Once you have an item in mind make sure to scan at least five or six different sites to see which one is offering the most competitive discounts and promotions, then go from there.
Compare Online with In-Store
While online shopping is on the rise, that doesn’t mean it’s the best place for a good deal. The best companies are ones that offer a consistent experience both online and in-store, as they’ll give you much better service, as well as a better idea of what to expect. The last thing you want is to order something from the other side of the world on eBay only for a completely different item to show up at your house. Creating a comparable online and offline experience means delivering consistently high-quality services on both, as well as offering equally high-quality customer service both in-store and online.
Companies such as the gaming platform Buzz Bingo manage to strike that fine balance between online and physical offerings, with the digital experience often being just as rewarding as the in-store one, helped by their live chat customer service feature and comprehensive online offerings. The bingo company which rebranded recently promotes its land-based bingo clubs on its website but also reminds land-based players that they can play on the move or at home.
Likewise, the luxury online retailer LK Bennett has won praise for striking a similar balance, guaranteeing that online offerings can be found or delivered to their stores, whilst providing quality online customer service. This is what you should be looking for when choosing who to give your custom to this Christmas.
With a solid game plan, nothing needs to be stressful. Follow these tips to ensure you have the best Christmas possible, for both yourself and your wallet.