Holiday Shopping Tips with Liv Judd Soye

As we gear up for the busy Holiday shopping season, we chatted with shopping expert Liv Judd Soye about finding good deals, planning for a stress free experience and saving money.

1. What’s a good resource to find deals or coupons?

I suggest going to the websites or following the Social Media accounts of your favourite retailers or shopping destinations such as www.cfshops.com which has a great promotions page that compiles a list of deals specifically for Black Friday at your local Vancouver mall so everything can be found in one convenient place.

2. What’s the best way plan or organize your shopping to do list?

You need to do your homework. Identify what you need and want before you head out to the mall. Do an inventory of your closet or home and what you need to buy. Also, with the holidays just around the corner, make a list of the people you need to buy for and what gift ideas you have in mind. Take a similar approach to grocery shopping or meal planning by creating a list and shopping according to it.

3. Any tips for a stress-free shopping experience?

Do your research

If you have the time, visit the stores you love in advance to scope out where products are available and located in the store and pre-try on the items so you know your exact size, colour, style reducing the amount of time you need to spend in store or in line which could be stressful.

Plan your route and schedule

Once you’ve identified what you need mark out your route. Both CF Pacific Centre and CF Richmond centre open early at 7 am to accommodate shopper schedules. Store directories and mall floorplans are available at www.cfshops.com and you can identify where to park, what entrance to use, what stores you will visit. Since most people don’t take the whole day off for Black Friday since it’s not a holiday in Canada, this will be an efficient use of time to help you get what you need quickly!

Dress for the occasion

• Lightweight clothing – Wear separates that are easy to get on and off and layers that are lightweight and breathable such as cotton, light cashmere or stretch denim.
• Footwear is key – Wear slip-on, comfortable shoes, think wedges with a slight heel booties for comfort and stability for walking around.
• Keep your hands free with a cross-body bag and minimize the clutter in the your bag that could add extra weight. Leave your heavy jacket at home or in the trunk of car.

4. What’s a good site to do some comparison shopping?

Apps such as Flipp, Retail Me Not or Shop To It can let you know about hot deals based on your location and allow you to search by product or store. Both CF Richmond Centre and CF Pacific Centre have free Wi-Fi if you’re looking to research while shopping.

5. Do you recommended any apps to help budget for the holiday season?

Mint.com is a great app that helps you manage your spending, savings and earnings. You can sync it to your credit cards and bank account and create budget and savings goals to help keep you on track.

6. Do you get better deals online or at the mall? (for clothes or consumer electronics)

Retailers recognize that Black Friday is a popular in-mall shopping day and therefore are offering great promotions in-store. Part of the excitement around Black Friday is going to your local shopping property such as CF Pacific Centre or CF Richmond Centre where there are hundreds of retailers to choose from to physically see what’s available. There’s gratification of getting the item immediately versus waiting for it to be shipped. And why deals may be similar, you’ll need to factor in shipping fees as well which will add to the overall cost.

7. Is it better to wait for Cyber Monday? or shop closer to Christmas?

Cyber Monday provides another opportunity for retailers to offer additional promotions for consumers but when it comes to Black Friday, savvy shoppers are looking for specific items and will not want to risk missing out by waiting a few extra days or even weeks. By physically going to a mall, consumers will have access to the best brands in one place and a wide assortment of items that they can touch, feel and try on minimizing the risk of not getting the items they want or having to pay shipping fees. As they say, the early bird gets the worm, or in this case the best deal and selection!