Christmas Shopping Online

Three out of four consumers now says that Christmas shopping online beats doing it on their feet in the stores. (2019 figures) (When we get the numbers for the 2023 Christmas shopping season, I would not be surprised to see those numbers go higher than that 74%).

Why is Christmas shopping online so much better, you ask?

7 Reasons for Shopping Online at Christmas

  • to avoid infectious COVID contacts
  • better product ranges - more selection
  • special deals for online shoppers that are not available in-the-physical-store
  • Depending on your shopping style - it can take a lot less time
  • saves wear and tear on your body from travelling and walking in crowded malls
  • can save gas and even costly parking lot fender benders!
  • you are not slowed down by distractions or a shopping friend who disappears up wrong aisles

Mobiles or smart phones are going to make an even greater impact this next Christmas as nearly two out of three online shoppers plan to shop from their device. Such purchasing has grown by leaps and bounds since 2010. The numbers will fly up this year! Many merchant sites have been preparing by making their shopping sites mobile friendly. However, the mobile users complain that not enough sites are catering to them yet! (Ouch! There may be some friction spots; take heed).

What if you are tip-toeing cautiously online and wondering just how you should try your Christmas shopping online?

Good thing you are here! I'm ready to be your guide and show you how to have a great experience doing most, or all your Christmas shopping online. Let's break this down in steps such as you probably take when you shop in your local stores.

When and Where are the BEST Deals Before Christmas?

Normally you would check the weekly flyers and ad-mail that comes to your door. Probably you would do that a day or two ahead, and make up lists of products you want to look for, and where you are most likely to find the best price. You do the same for your online Christmas shopping. Set aside a few hours to search via a search engine like Google.

Also check to see if the stores that have the products you want are listed in the rebate sites, (you can sign up for free), such as CashBackWorld, Rakuten.ca, or Rakuten.com (USA), and www.GreatCanadianRebates.ca If they have the store you want, you can click through your membership link to the store you have in mind, place your order, and in 1-6 weeks get a rebate on your purchase. That can amount to quite a bit, even after you got a seasonal discount at the store's shopping site!



There are some extra good dates for sales to keep in mind for your Christmas shopping online.

The weekend before Halloween, and the weekend after is when many merchants start putting on advance Black Friday sales; they want to catch people in a buying mood ahead of the big Black Friday that falls the day after the American Thanksgiving. It's also a game of beat-the-competition! I recommend you start your research by then for the big ticket items you have in mind, and do some comparison shopping online before you make your final purchase. If you already know what the usual price-range is, and then you spy a lightening sale, on say, Amazon, that is only for so many hours, or until they sell out - then you know it is time to make your purchase quickly.

Let me say again, that it's smart to have bookmarked a list of your favourite shopping sites, and to pay them frequent little visits about these times. Or, sign up for their email lists, and you'll get advance notice of such super-sales.

The Monday right after Thanksgiving is known as Cyber Monday. Almost every site with something to sell, but especially the biggest sites, will have some sort of discounts that day. If you have your little "wanted items" list ready, you can quickly check out those sites and see if you can't save yourself about half the original price - or more!

If delivery of purchases in time for Christmas morning is not crucial to you - (gift certificates that promise the gift on the way are a good 'get-around-delays' trick), then you should watch especially on December 21-24 for super specials! All of a sudden they want to be rid of their Christmas stock.

How Shopping Online for Christmas is Better

If you were going shopping on a shopping trip in a physical mall, or store, you should eat a hearty breakfast and dress warmly.

That's what I would do; I try not to shop on an empty stomach, as it will cloud my mind and make it hard to make decisions. Or, I fall for impulse shopping. However, this is not such a great issue when shopping online. Your Christmas shopping online doesn't not have to take you more than few minutes if you've done some advance research and decided where you would like to shop. So you could get several purchases made before breakfast - before you even change out of your bed clothes!

I urge you to be wise, and make careful shopping decisions. Just because it can be done fast, does not mean you throw all wisdom and planning to the wind and go on impulsive spending sprees. Keep you head calm and collected! But if you wake up in the middle of the night, and remember that you have to order something within a certain date to get it in time, feel free to go to your computer or smart phone, and do your shopping.

Dressing up a bit when shopping in the malls is considered a helpful tip, as you feel more self-confident, and you may get better attention from sales associates, but (so far) we don't do our Christmas shopping online via video. So you can wear whatever you like when you do your Christmas shopping online!

Need to Shop WITH Someone Else?

If you need moral support and help in making buying decisions, by all means, do your Christmas shopping online with such a relative, friend, or helper at your side. But if a co-shopper will talk you into buying more than you really need or can afford, or some place where you don't feel safe - it is better to do it on your own, and to keep a clear conscience.

Special Online Deals for this Christmas - NOW!

I have merchants letting me know of special deals for your Christmas shopping online in this pre-holiday season right now. To save you some time, I'll show some links and banners here, and you can go see them for yourself with one click on the link or banner.



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