2020: The End Of In-Store Holiday Shopping Indefinitely?

There's a reason "pandemic" was the most used word of 2020. It permeated every facet of life and forced us to create new normals that we can't wait to leave behind. Eating in restaurants without masks, going to concerts, group activities, contact sports--we want it all back! But there's one thing pandemic life changed that not everyone minds: in-store holiday shopping.

As it turns out, half of America says they'll never do their holiday shopping in person ever again. And to be honest, I fall into that category. The ease of purchasing online and shipping straight to my loved ones' homes has let me be lazy in a way I don't want to give up. Shopping while bingeing Christmas movies and tater tots is forever more appealing than a crowded store.

While 68% of us plan to do practically all of our holiday shopping online this year, 52% of people plan to buy all of their Christmas gifts online from now on. The in-store shopping experience, no matter how amazing, isn't enough to persuade most to do it this year. Now that we know we can effectively do it online might as well keep it going. The irony of course, is that stores will then be less crowded for the ones who didn't actually mind in the first place.

The real concern with online shopping is package thieves. I've been lucky to never experience that (*knock on wood*), but it's a big reason for the other half to opt for in-store shopping. Which side do you land on?

(97thFloor)