How to Avoid Christmas Mall Madness
Published: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
By Paula Brook, The Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER — Yes Virginia, there is a way to beat Santa Claus. And to shun jingling muzak, evade jostling crowds, prevent mall-induced panic attacks and save your aching bones from shop-till-you-drop madness.
Just click and buy, then get the heck out of Dodge. Preferably to somewhere warm, where you can bask in the knowledge you’ve done your bit for family, friends and the retail economy. Trust me, no one will blame you for bypassing those blinking elves and going straight to the goods, online. It’s what I’ve done this year, and by the time you read this I’ll be in a small town in Mexico where a fish taco is considered a really great gift.
Not that online gift shopping will be news to you. E-commerce has been growing exponentially in recent years, to the point where (according to Visa Canada) close to one-quarter of Canadians are planning to do some Christmas shopping online this year. That’s up from last year’s 18 per cent.
The value of e-retailing in Canada was close to $40 billion last year — up 38.4 per cent from 2004. The increase in online sales was six times that of overall retail sales across the country.
And the range of retail activity on the Net is widening. Previously dominated by electronics, CDs and books, Canadian e-commerce is now diversifying to match the trend south of the border, where the long tradition of catalogue shopping has conditioned shoppers for the shift to online purchases of everything from lingerie to kitchen appliances.
Canadians have generally been wary of buying online, but that’s changing as a new generation of e-biz whizzes train their guns on our oversized, underserved market. One of the most promising is ShopToIt, the brainchild of a group of e-comers from Calgary who saw the need for a comprehensive search engine that would guide Canadian shoppers quickly and painlessly through what can otherwise be a mind-numbing maze of online hawkers.
You can get to the goods, fast — a refreshing change from, say, trying to order an Old Navy sweater online from Vancouver. Which can’t be done, though you have to spend half an hour clicking your way to that disappointing conclusion.
(Don’t be misled by Old Navy’s online promise to ship to Canada — it’s simply not true. I called 1-800-Old-Navy to hear this confirmed by a customer service agent. They’re working on Canada, she told me apologetically. Maybe next year.)
It’s the same story, more or less, with a lot of U.S.-based retailers. Canada’s just not big enough for them to bother with; that is, not a big enough market.
And that’s a crying shame if, for example, you’ve spotted those $16 cashmere-blend Izaac Mizrahi sweaters on Amazon.com. Of course, being border dwellers means it’s easy to arrange delivery to an American P.O. box, but that’s a long way from today’s mission of pointing, clicking and being done with it (in time for Christmas).
Which brings us to the pressing issue of Christmas delivery cutoff dates. Most of the larger retailers have a mid-December cutoff, meaning you’ll have to order quickly for guaranteed delivery. Not all sites make this apparent.
To save time, bother and cash, read the fine print. Does the site warrant its products? Do they have an easy return policy? A secure payment platform? A 1-800 customer service number? Are they, in other words, as solid as a reputable bricks-and-mortar store? If not, keep clicking.
Here’s a sampling of safe bets:
ShopToIt.ca
Cutoff: Dec. 15; shipping and handling varies with member retailers.
It’s more search engine than e-store, offering tools to seriously streamline your list. If you’re the type who likes to lay hands on before buying, go here first to find the best price at the nearest location from member retailers. For some reason, ShopToIt is long on lingerie (La Senza dominates) and short on mainstream clothing lines — but this is true for e-shopping in Canada, generally. Possibly the margins are too slim in fashion to justify the high click-through charges. Not so in electronics, and you’ll find great deals here and plenty to compare. I found the coveted Motorola V3 Razr cell phone in “cosmic Blue” with Unlocked GSM for $235 before taxes, plus $6 for shipping.
Bestbuy.ca
Delivery promise: seven business days for ground ($8), three days for expedited ($12.55), free for orders over $39.
That’s quite a promise. And this greased-lightning site saves you serious time navigating its vast inventory of electronics with all the usual toys for grownups, kids and grown-up kids. Got one who really, really needs the radio-controlled 1:6 Tricked Hummer ($100) and can’t bear to wait three days? In a pinch the store locator tells you if there’s only one left and where it’s at near you. Start your engines.
Amazon.ca
Cutoff: Dec. 15 for supersaver rate ($4 for CDs and single books); Dec. 16 for priority ($11).
Canadian Amazon is disappointing if you’ve browsed the well-stocked shelves on the U.S. or European Amazon sites, but this is still a cheap and reliable way to get popular books and albums. Can you lose with Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong delivered to your door for under $20?
Chapters.indigo.ca
Cutoff: Dec. 14 for expedited delivery on most items, similar prices to Amazon; free premium shipping (three to nine business days) for orders over $39.
This is a model site for customer service, security and ease — thanks Heather! I especially appreciate the one-click postage-paid return system. Just print out the shipping label and drop it in the mail, or at the post office if it’s a box. You’ll see your refund applied to your credit card within the week. New this year: A well-stocked toy store with smart picks for the very young, including hot games like Cranium Cariboo ($20) and cool toys from the Dragonology series ($20) — buy both and delivery is free. Or play it safe with a holiday gift card ($25, $50 or $100), which costs an additional $3 for express delivery, cutoff Dec.16.
HBC.com
Cutoff: Dec. 14 for two to seven days ($13); Dec. 18 for two to three days ($21).
Visit the clearance department — the invitation comes up on HBC’s home page and you should click on it. I found a half-price nine-piece duvet set that packs neatly into a wicker chest ($119), and an even better deal on a Contura stroller, regularly $150 but only $70 for the toddler on your list. Yes, they’re both small enough to qualify for those cheap delivery rates if you order by Monday.
Sears.ca
Cutoff: Dec. 19 for free shipping on most gift items, to most areas; in-stock products take two to six business days.
They make it easy, with options from catalogue to phone to web orders and pickup at myriad retail/catalogue outlets if the free home delivery (within a week) isn’t good enough for you. Because this is basically the full Sears catalogue online, you can click to put almost anything to your basket, from the $380 Craftsman Universal Tractor to the Roots three-pack boys’ socks ($7). There’s a full Roots collection online, from the infant crew-neck fleece ($27) to men’s Monterey watch ($110), warranted for 20 years. Does it get any safer than Sears?
Theshoppingchannel.com
Cutoff: Dec. 14 for Canada Post standard rates, Dec. 16 for UPS courier, rates vary.
Super organized site for super safe gifts. Don’t give gramps a jolt, just send him some Tender Tootsies shearling slippers ($63.50 includes shipping). There’s an online size guide, customer ratings and a 30-day money-back guarantee to make you feel even warmer and fuzzier. The site moves like molasses, but no worries — these slippers aren’t going anywhere.
