Online or In Person? The Great Holiday Shopping Debate
Now that the holidays are here, shoppers everywhere are bombarding stores and hoarding cashiers. With Black Friday right around the corner, many stores have presales on in hopes to attract as many buyers as possible. Those shopping for gifts for their loved ones have begun to accumulate in different shops everywhere, searching for the best deals and the perfect gifts for their loved ones.
Christmas time is always the best time of year for businesses. Restaurants are booming as people are shopping themselves to starvation and search for a quick bite to eat and stores of course experience high volumes of customers buying gifts for their friends, family and more. Mariah Morley is a self-proclaimed deal enthusiast and says the end of November is the perfect time to grab gifts for the family.
“November is always the best time, after Remembrance Day. It seems the 11th marks the end of the transition from Halloween to Christmas and everyone starts feeling like they can get excited. Stores use that to their advantage and that’s when it seems their best deals start to go on.”
Morley also says she’s noticed how much the holidays help the local restaurants out.
“You know, there’s always that fun part of shopping where you want to spend more money on grabbing something to eat from a restaurant. Anytime I’ve been out lately, on the weekend especially, every restaurant seems to have a wait list even just at lunch.”
Saturday saw many stores maxed out to capacity with shoppers having a go at the latest deals and sales offered. Lines accumulated outside as people grew anxious, hoping to get their hands on that perfect find. However, it seems that not everyone is choosing to shop in stores this year.
Online shopping has been a growing business for many years now but has spiked ever since the initial hit of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who wish to avoid in-person stores and other shoppers have the luxury of shopping from the comfort of their own home. Trudy Boon is someone who thinks that online shopping is better for a variety of reasons.
“Well, shopping on places like Amazon is great for people like me who live far away from stores. The biggest thing we have here seems to be the pharmacy, so why would I spend $20 in gas to fight with a bunch of other people over a sweater when I can go on Amazon and find it for probably a lot cheaper anyways, and I get to do it in my pajamas?”
Boon says she’s done the majority of her Christmas shopping on the Amazon website and believes it’s more convenient, and many times cheaper than anything she’d find in a mall.
“Plus, you know, you want a specific thing and you have limited options in physical stores, that is if you even find what it is you’re looking for. If you go on Amazon you have a bunch of different options for a bunch of different prices, and it has just way more selection than anything else, so why not?”
It seems that that’s the way to go for many nowadays, spending their money online rather in person. However, the online marketplace doesn’t seem to be keeping everyone inside, as cars still flood the parking lots and debit cards are still tapping the machines as forceful as ever this holiday season. This is Milly Squires for STU Journalism.