¶ Intro / Opening
Hey, it's Bob Fibbs, the Retail Doc. I'm here with a couple of tips for you today about how to maintain your sanity during the holidays.
¶ Holiday Shopping Tips
First up, shopping early is crucial because frankly, you're going to get busier and busier as we get closer to the holidays. So find time on your day off, on your lunch, whatever it is, to get your holiday shopping done now. You're not going to have time afterwards and you're going to have better deals and you're going to have a better experience because quite simply, you'll be focused on what you want to do, which is to make somebody else's day
rather than I've got to get back to the store. So that's number one. Number two is to understand the parking rules, right? I can't tell you how many people who worked in a mall who have had their cars towed or someone on Main Street has gotten a bunch of tickets or any number of things because you just weren't paying attention. Understand that particularly if you're downtown, you shouldn't be in front of the store. You should be around the back or something. But the key is to know what that is.
And if you have to keep feeding the meters, that's one thing. But find a parking lot or friend somewhere where you don't have to keep doing that.
¶ Parking and Traffic Insights
Traffic is going to get a lot worse during holidays. So understand that what used to take you maybe 20 minutes to get to work might actually be 40 minutes in a busy time. And weather is going to make a big difference on that. So check your app. What's it look like? Knowing the location of every supply in the back from the cash register tape or how to reset the Wi-Fi or any number of things. Now's the time to learn it.
Don't be caught guessing because someone's going to get curt with you and they're not going to like that.
¶ Footwear Matters for Holiday Shopping
And finally, just know that the choice of footwear that you have is going to impact your ability to have a good day. There are more nerves in the bottom of your feet than other part of your body. So make sure that you wear something comfortable that supports you. And that's just the first of my three days of tips for how to maintain your sanity this holiday season. See you next time.