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How to survive the holiday mall madness
Dreading that big shopping trip to the mall… yeah me too!!! Circling the lost for a parking spot, carrying all those bags, going store to store fighting the crowds…. sounds fun…. huh?!?!??! NOT!
Here are some holiday shopping tips on How to survive the mall madness if you’ve decided not to shop on-line. If you must shop at the mall, the one way to make your trip less stressful is to have a list for the gifts you wish to buy, sticking to the list, and only shopping in the stores that carry what you’re searching for and what’s on that list. If not, you may find yourself aimlessly wandering through the mall without a battle plan and can therefore make yourself vulnerable to the mall madness syndrome.
- Park at the entrance where you plan on ending your shopping trip, that way you will have less distance carrying those heavy bags and packages.
- Download coupon apps and screenshot those coupons before you head into the mall. Time and time again, I am stuck at the register trying to find that coupon or code only yo have spotty service or I can’t locate the coupon
- Check Amazon first!!!! They may have the item you are looking for cheaper and free shipping!
- Buy in bulk! Slippers for everyone!!! If you really want to cut down on shopping stress and make your shopping experience easy as can be. Find a nice product on a sale that everyone on your list will love and buy it for all! Everyone is treated equal, so no hurt feelings.
Another way to survive the mall mauling is to shop during non-peak mall hours. This is usually very early in the morning; most mall stores open as early as 7:00 a.m. in some areas. Try not to shop close to closing hours; this is the witching hour for most chronic procrastinators to fulfill their shopping needs as well.
If you know for sure that a mall store carries the item you want to purchase you can call ahead and have the service associate put it aside for you to pick the item up at a convenient time for you and avoid the mall mauling crowd. You waltz in, go up to the service desk, and claim your item; you can either pay over the phone, or pay when you pick up the gift (If they offer this service where you plan to shop).
Make Check Out a Smooth A Possible
Don’t delay your time during checkout where most of the stressful mall mauling experiences occurs. You should ensure that the gift that you’re purchasing is in working order, and its contents has not been tampered with, so you don’t have to return it before you even get a chance to give it away. Also during checkout make sure that the items that you are buying are clearly marked with a price tag and has the correct price listed or have an ad in hand with advertised sale prices, it’s no fun waiting in a line for 30 minutes and finding out you’ll have to wait another 10 minutes or more while they locate the correct price for the gift you’re purchasing. Another important tip for surviving the mall, never shop with cash or checks during the Holiday, not only do you guard against losing a hefty sum of money, but credit and debit card transactions go quickly and smoothly.
If you are shopping in a team or with your partner, split up the list. This will cut your mall shopping time in half and get you on your way. This thought process also works great with a circle of friends. If you have multiple shopping destinations… as in, Costco, Best Buy, ULTA, ect. Partner up to fulfill each others shopping list. Once all shopping is complete, meet up for coffee and cookies and square up! Shopping complete, stress minimized!
Happy Holidays!
