Holiday Survival Kit: Smart holiday shopping tips
November 24, 2007
Holiday Headquarters at the National Retail Federation (NRF) offers shopping tips for the holiday shopper that include top ten tips for buying gift cards, shopping on a budget, safe shopping tips and the top ten shopping tips. Some of the top ten tips when purchasing a gift card include asking if the gift card has an expiration date or dormancy fees. Also, there are differences between a gift card from a store and a gift card from a bank. All gift cards are not the same.
According to the NRF’s Top 10 Tips for Smart Holiday Shopping, a few of the top ten shopping tips might surprise the average consumer, such as:
Shop after 6:00 p.m. the evening before a sale is advertised to begin. Many retailers program the registers the night before, so the sale may already come up in the register even if they have not signed the selling floor yet. Ask the associate in advance for any possible upcoming sales, especially on big ticket items.
Other helpful tips suggest making a list of alternative choices in the event the item you want is not available, shopping early or late to avoid crowds, taking the complete ad with you so there is no confusion, asking for a gift receipt along with the sales receipt at the time of purchase and stapling the gift receipt to the merchandise in the event it needs to be returned or exchanged later, and consider saving yourself time if the mall you are shopping at has a charity group that offers to wrap presents for a small fee or donation.
To read the complete top ten lists and learn more about money saving tips, visit the Holiday Headquarters at the National Retail Federation. While reading through the information provided on the NRF website, the NRF stated “We are anticipating an extremely promotional holiday season.” Good news for shoppers looking to save money this Christmas shopping season. Keep an eye on the ads!