Don't Take Your Shopping Advice from Me :-)

There won’t be a return to pre-pandemic normal, but there are ways to be smarter about trying to get what you want

I’ve been thinking a lot about the holidays, and I believe that they may still be far different this year than they were before the pandemic.

I started my Holiday shopping early this year in October. I have to admit, this just might be the year I don’t have to gift last minute. ?I said might…

First, on the positive side, many of us will be reconnecting in person during this holiday season, as most pandemic mandates have eased. Those who do plan on congregating around dinner tables and Christmas trees are no doubt looking forward to experiencing this holiday together once again.

However, the reality is that COVID-19 is still with us to a certain extent, which may mean a delay in the return to some traditions, like those large in-person gatherings. Others may still be reluctant to have their children sit on Santa’s lap or navigate crowded malls and stores.?

All this might mean a postponement of perhaps one more year for a true return to normal. By next year, more children will be vaccinated, and parents will begin to feel a bit more comfortable taking their kids to see good old St. Nick.

And as we embark on holiday shopping this year, whether in-store or online, we will be faced with the added challenge of selecting and buying gifts during the current supply chain predicament.?

Supply chain issues are complicated

The supply chain challenges are real and complex. The logjams started last year during the pandemic, but they’ve been years in the making. And due to a confluence of events, and lots of repercussions from pandemic-related shutdowns last year, there’s more demand than supply, labor shortages, production stoppages, and transportation issues.

Untangling this crisis may take quite a long time. That means this holiday will be affected, and at this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to the extent of these impacts.

Some advice from our community to help you meet the challenge

I thought it would be useful to provide insight from some experts about how to overcome the challenge of shopping during the supply chain crisis.

First, from our Cheryl’s Cookies blog, personal shopper and wardrobe consultant Sahra Schukraft suggests spreading the fun throughout the year by signing up your loved one for a monthly subscription service such as book clubs and food deliveries. Or plan an adventure like a date night that includes a cooking class. And finally, Sahra says there’s nothing wrong with giving a gift card, particularly this year.

In addition, we found this article in Business Insider that provided some practical tips for shopping your way around the impacts of supply chain issues.?

The article cites industry analyst Bob Ferrari who lists eight ways to make your holiday shopping run smoother this year. These include:

A Gifting Idea from an Unlikely Source

I got some painful Christmas gift inspiration this week…from the dentist of all places.?

My wife, Marylou, is a great baker.?My eldest granddaughter, Abby, likes to bake. In fact, on my last birthday, Abby baked me the ‘best’ cake I’ve ever had.?

My wife and I were heading to visit some friends last weekend and wanted to bring something. Abby came to the house and my wife taught Abby how to bake an apple pie. What a great moment for me, watching my wife and granddaughter bake in their aprons.?Of course, the pie was also delicious, and I took some wonderful photos to memorialize the moment.?

The other day I went to my dentist, who is also an accomplished photographer, and showed him the photo. He explained that with some crops and cuts the photo of Marylou and Abby baking would be the perfect holiday gift.

It took some pain, but it was all worth it to make this holiday that much more special.

And more from our own logistics expert

Once you decide on the perfect gift, it’s time to understand the logistical components. We talked to our own logistics and last mile expert, Don LaFrance, who is Vice President of Enterprise Logistics and Supply at 1-800-Flowers.com:

Don has some additional advice for holiday shoppers, “For online shopping, order as early as you can.?And then there’s BOPUS, which is an acronym for buy online and pick up in store. That’s always a good strategy, if it makes sense for you. All in all, the holiday will be like nothing we have seen before, so planning and shopping early will help in your success.”

Manage expectations this holiday season

I agree with Don. This holiday will most certainly be different. We got through the pandemic holiday last year, so in some cases that was a warm-up for what to anticipate this year.?

If you’re anything like me, even though I started shopping early, you just might find yourself doing some last-minute shopping. In fact, in past years Chris & I have both found ourselves at the Roosevelt Field Mall (across from our former headquarters in Long Island) on Christmas Eve buying last-minute knick-knacks. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we saw some of our colleagues there. We were so focused on making your holidays special that we lost sight of our own gifting needs!

Hopefully you will learn from our mistakes and get a head start on your holiday gifts this year and as always, we will do everything we can to ensure you have a smooth holiday and celebrate seamlessly with your friends and family.?

Celebrations Postscripts

Join us for our next episode of Breakfast at Wolferman’s Bakery at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT) on Thursday, Nov. 18.

It’ll feature inspiring conversation about gratitude and helpful advice on hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Self-care expert Aisha Beau Frisbey will be dishing up advice on stress-free hosting; Alice Lewis of Alice’s Table will give decorating tips to make your dinner a success; and Lauren Grier of The Curious Plate will share a recipe for a deliciously easy Thanksgiving dish.

The episode, which will be available afterward here, will be hosted by entertaining expert Francesco Bilotto.