10 Tips For Easy Holiday Shopping

The decorations are out, lists have been made, and consumers are hitting the stores ready to tackle their holiday shopping. While receiving a gift is always fun, long lines and crowded stores can make finding the perfect items for people on your list a little more stressful.

The National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade association, has assembled a list of 10 tips guaranteed to take the headache out of your holiday shopping.

NRF’s Top 10 Holiday Shopping Tips:

1. Shop after 6 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.

2. Prepare a list to use while you’re shopping. Make sure to include alternative selections in case you are unable to find some of the items on your list.

3. Avoid crowds by shopping during the store’s early and late extended hours.

4. If you’re looking for specific advertised items, take the complete ad with you so that you don’t end up in the wrong store looking for a specific price.

5. Staple a gift receipt to the merchandise tag in case it needs to be returned or exchanged. Keep your original receipts with any warranty paperwork for the life of the warranty.

6. Remember when gift shopping, you’re buying for someone else’s wants and needs, not your own. But don’t be surprised if you find some new necessities for yourself in the process.

7. Shop safely. Watch your personal belongings at all times including handbags and purchases. The stores are not responsible for any lost items, so be careful, especially at the register when you can get easily distracted by the transaction itself.

8. Save yourself some wear-and-tear by letting the charity group at the mall wrap your gifts for you. This will save you a lot of time and free you up to do other things on your holiday to-do lists.

9. When shopping online, have your credit cards and address book handy. Many Web sites have timed windows to complete a transaction, so you need to have any shipping information at your fingertips.

10. Wear comfortable shoes - you’re going to be walking on a lot of marble and tile.

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