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The IFP - Halton Hills | Thursday, October 28, 2021 | 52 theifp.ca T ShoplOCAL! the world to complete holiday tasks. But before long, holiday crunch time arrives and some people find themselves rushing around to buy gifts and other essentials. was spent during the holidays in 2019 in the United States - making it the biggest holiday season to date. Though the pandemic changed the holi- day shopping landscape in 2020, a return to normalcy appears to be on the horizon for the 2021 holiday shopping season. In fact, the adage of “the early bird catches the worm’ could help shoppers scoop up gifts and bargains before the holiday shop- ping rush begins. Individuals who start their holiday shopping early this year may discover there are many benefits to such an approach. stmas holid SPREAD OUT SPENDING Those who begin shopping online and arrange for curbside pickup or delivery. SHOP SALES A Coresight Research survey found that more than 25 per cent of shoppers expected to start holiday shopping earlier than usual in 2020, when retailers offered their promo- J | y tions earlier than normal to compensate for a decline in brick-and-mortar shopping. While it remains to be seen what retailers will do this year, shopping early means people are not beholden only to holiday sales promo- tions; they can take advantage of major sales throughout the year and retailer-specific sales. AVOID DELAYS Continued pressure on shipping compa- nies as online shopping has become so preva- lent inadvertently leads to delays. Couple this with supply chain disruptions due to the pan- demic, and certain items may be out of stock or on back order. “With potential product shortages con- tinuing, if you see something you know you want, go ahead and buy it’ said Karl Haller, retail industry expert at IBM Global Business Services. Getting a head start on holiday shopping is advantageous to shoppers who want to budget, save and ensure items are available. (MCC). Kelly Breiter Registered Interior Designer ARIDO & BCIN BREITER DESIGN STUDIO Interior Design and Drafting www breiterdesignstudio.ca 416-788-9055 CA SWEET CONFECTIONERY > SERVING HALTON “) “HILLS & SURROUNDING AREA www.sweetconfectionerycakes.com Insta/FB@sweetconfectionerycakes 647.458.8358