With the holiday season behind us and a new year just beginning, it is an optimal time for us to reflect on the successes and obvious areas for improvement.
E-Commerce reached new heights this year, with more consumers browsing and buying on their desktops, smartphones and tablets. But of course, many still flocked to brick-and-mortar stores to take advantage of special sales and doorbusters.
But how did the RTP team check off their holiday shopping lists? Was their overall experience positive or negative? They share their thoughts below:
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Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: I was very impressed with retailers and their shipping partners this season. I had no glitches when it came to getting packages delivered – and we were able to order much later this year for holiday delivery! Great news for procrastinators like me! Of course, that sets the stage for consumers to shop later and later each year, so retailers beware for the 2015 holiday season. Otherwise, I think everyone was exhausted at 12:01 a.m. on December 26 because I ordered some items that were supposed to be delivered the week after December 25 and they arrived late.
Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor: I always say that the holiday season is my favorite time to visit department stores and shopping malls. Among my family and friends, I’m definitely the “Christmas nerd,” and get giddy at the sight of twinkling lights and fake snow. That is why I always try to do a fair share of shopping in-store. But the fact remains that a lot of my family members browse online, and when I would receive a link and try to find in a store, it was unavailable. Because of that, I’m glad that we, as shoppers, have more options to access a wider variety of inventory and please our loved ones during this special time of year. Other than that, though, the store will always hold a special place in my heart – especially when it comes to holiday shopping.
Rob Fee, Managing Editor: Year over year, I’ve increased my digital spend each holiday season. Online shopping, while requiring a bit more planning, allows me to buy what I want, when I want it. As my daughter gets older, it has almost become a necessity. It’s much easier to hunt online for a doll of Elsa from Frozen than it is to drive to multiple stores with the hopes that there is one in stock. The price might be a little more when you factor in shipping (and even that is becoming less of an issue), but it’s worth it to avoid a disappointed daughter or mob scenes at the local toy store. A second lesson learned: since my family travels for Christmas, I’ll be sending items purchased online to my final destination to avoid packing the car full of gifts.
Kim Zimmermann, Managing Editor: I did a mix of online and in-store shopping. The Millennilals in my life helpfully provide links to what they want – and since they’ve done the research and know what they want and found the best prices – I just clicked and entered my credit card. A few items were sold out early on Amazon, so I ended up heading to the store. It was a bit disconcerting that I could find the item in the store but not available online, particularly at a vast site like Amazon. But, it pushed me to go to the store, where I found additional items to buy, which is my usual budget downfall.
Glenn Taylor, Associate Editor: I still ended up doing the majority of my Christmas shopping at the mall and other stores, but not once did I feel worried that I wouldn’t be able to find the right gifts. I feel that in itself is a pretty big win, especially when shopping within one week of Christmas. Granted, I wasn’t exactly set out to purchase hot-ticket items such as toys or electronics, but the process simply didn’t stress me out like it did in the past. At least from a brick-and-mortar perspective, I would encourage many of these retailers to keep pushing their delivery deadlines. Truth be told, you never know how many shoppers will rely on those stores to adhere to their last-second purchasing needs.
Brian Anderson, Associate Editor: The 2014 holiday season was the first time that I went completely digital for my shopping, and I have to say it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Normally, I save a few items on my list to go shopping for in-store. This usually leads to me scrambling on Christmas Eve looking for the final gifts. However, my shopping this year was done by Cyber Monday, and everything was delivered on time. Surprisingly, the most stress-free holiday season I’ve experienced in a long time.
Did you primarily shop online to complete your holiday shopping, or did you find yourself venturing to the store? Share your experiences in the comments section below!
