Shopping early for Christmas
“Shop early, shop safely for Christmas”. That’s the message coming from Damien English TD, the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail in the Republic of Ireland.
He continued by saying that he would “encourage people to think about getting their Christmas shopping underway as early as possible this year. In this way people will preserve and support the (retail) sector throughout this difficult time, but most importantly so that we can avoid unnecessary crowds come Christmas week”.
English clearly wants shops to be able to bank some takings early to help keep them afloat, as well as avoiding overcrowding in shopping areas close to Christmas, that might spread the virus.
Are people shopping early for Christmas?
Research by Amex suggests that one third of people in the UK have already started their Christmas shopping.
Fear of crowds closer to the date is a major factor. Many people are also concerned that local restrictions might be introduced, which could limit their ability to shop closer to the date. The rule of 6 and other restrictions means that Christmas plans are uncertain for many.
John Lewis reports that sales of Christmas trees are up 233% on this time last year, and Christmas decorations are up by 156%. Various sources report that sales of toys started to increase as soon as children were back at school.
40% are hoping to pick up Christmas bargains in the sales, with many people also looking to spread the cost of Christmas over a longer period of time in these uncertain times. Almost 30% expect to spend less this year.
Almost 20% have already bought decorations and Christmas jumpers.
There is a term “Christmas creep” to describe the fact that retailers try to bring Christmas shopping earlier each year. This year it seems that people really are shopping earlier for Christmas.
Online traders and delivery companies struggled to cope with the surge following the sudden lockdown, but should be better prepared for the Christmas rush.
Will people be shopping early for Christmas online?
The BBC is expecting the biggest Christmas ever for online purchases.
The BBC still expects delivery companies to be at full stretch and warns shoppers not to leave it too late.
There could also be delivery delays following Black Friday on 27th November and Cyber Monday on 30th November.
One suggestion for sending gifts to people is instead of reposting them to the receiver, having them sent directly from the supplier to the recipient.
