The Michigan Retailers Association offers the following tips for holiday shoppers:
Personal Safety
Be safe:
Make sure to keep your purse and purchases in sight at all times. This is especially important at the register when it is easy to become distracted.
Park safely:
Try to park in areas where there are lots of other shoppers, not in isolated areas where you could become a target. Always be aware of who and what is around you.
Avoid shopping alone at night:
If you do any shopping after dark, make sure to have someone else go with you.
Be careful using ATMs:
Make sure to use ATMs in populated places and, if possible, during daylight hours.
Consolidate packages:
Try to consolidate your purchases or make trips to your car to rid yourself of shopping bags. When you’re burdened with many packages, you become a bigger target for thieves.
Conceal packages:
Keep purchases in your car trunk or some other location where they won’t be visible to thieves.
Financial & Product Security
Beware when shopping online:
Make sure the company you are purchasing from over the Internet is legitimate. Try calling to confirm the physical address and phone number for customer service if it is a company you have never heard of. Never send cash for an online payment, always use credit or debit cards.
Keep a record of your credit card numbers:
This should be done regardless of the time of year. Be sure to keep a record of credit card numbers and card company phone numbers at home in the event your wallet is stolen or lost.
Don’t open new credit cards:
It may be tempting to sign up for a new credit card to receive discounts, but your credit report will be hurt if you open a bunch of new credit accounts.
Read safety labels:
Make sure when buying gifts for children that the toys are age appropriate. Try to avoid toys with lots of little parts for small children. Check for product recalls at: http://www.recalls.gov/.
Sanity
Shop after 6 pm:
Many retail stores will put sale prices in their registers the night before. You will get the discounted price without fighting the crowds on the day the sale starts (but not all retailers’ computer systems will work like this).
Take advantage of extended hours:
Many retailers will extend their store hours around the holiday season (usually even before Thanksgiving). By shopping the early or late hours, it may help you avoid larger crowds.
Make a list:
Before beginning your holiday shopping try to make a list of everyone you need gifts for and list a couple of options for each person (in case you can’t find a particular item). This helps you stay within your budget.
Leave the wrapping to others:
Take advantage of the charity groups offering to wrap gifts. This will save you time and energy in the long run. If you choose to do the wrapping yourself, try to wrap items as you buy them instead of saving all your gifts for wrapping at once.
Take quiet breaks:
Make sure while all-day shopping that you take a few breaks in a quiet area. Have some lunch or coffee to keep the stress and frustration to a minimum.
Buy a few extra gifts:
If you get a few generic gifts (like gift cards, lotions, chocolates, etc.) you will be prepared for any gifts you forgot to purchase.
Avoid talking on your phone when in line:
Another tip that should be observed the entire year. Talking on your phone can be annoying to other customers and workers around you. It also slows down the checkout process.
Check delivery dates:
Know Christmas delivery deadlines for online purchases.
Ask for gift receipts:
Gift receipts help ease the return process. Try to keep each gift receipt with its present by taping it to or boxing it with the gift.
Don’t remove tags:
Especially when there isn’t a gift receipt, leave all tags except the price on gift merchandise. This can help stores verify the original sale.
Savings
Set a budget:
Decide how much you can comfortably spend during the holidays and stick to it.
Do your research:
Try to take time to comparison shop before buying big-ticket items. This can be done using the Internet, sale ads or just window shopping ahead of time.
Be aware of return policies:
Before purchasing an item, make sure the store has a return policy that will work for you.
Set a credit limit for yourself:
This will help keep you from running up credit card bills you can’t pay. One alternative to credit is using cash.
Research online/catalog purchases:
Make sure you are aware of any shipping and handling costs when making online or catalog purchases. These extra costs can really add up.
Ask about price matching:
Many retailers will match their competitors’ prices, so don’t be afraid to ask someone about this. Try to have a competitor’s coupon or advertisement to document the other price.
If you want the best deals, you may have to fight the crowds:
Venturing out on the day after Thanksgiving, or “Black Friday,” can be overwhelming. However, some of the best savings of the season can be found then. Electronics usually have some of the biggest markdowns on “Black Friday,” so if you know of a big-ticket item you need, this day may be your best bet.
For more information, visit the Michigan Retailers Association web site.
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