The holiday shopping season is upon us. This year, many Black Friday and Small Business Saturday shoppers will not only be heading back online like last year, but will also make the trip to stores in person. However, the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan wants shoppers to beware that changes are having an effecton the shopping experience.
Whether in person for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, or online for Cyber Monday, the Better Business Bureau says the continued pandemic, hiring challenges for retailers, shipping delays and product shortages make this year’s shopping experience unique. BBB’s Communications Specialist, Katie Grevious says for those venturing out larger crowds and long lines may be just part of the experience.
“All of those brick and mortar stores would love to have you in. But, they’re having a hard time finding those seasonal workers that we’re used to seeing. So, you may have to wait, or are expecting something to be there, and that’s out of that store’s hands. Be patient and understanding, know they’re doing their best to provide what they can for you.”
She says the same issues may apply for those shopping online, including shipping delays that she says are impacting most everyone.
“You have all these shipping delays, it’s going to be hard to find all the products you want. So, we have a lot of factors to consider when we decide how to shop.”
Considering shipping delays and potential product shortage, Grevious says the shopping season is prime for scammers. So beware.
“Because we know this is a big shopping season, scammers do as well. And they’re going to do what they can to take advantage of the those shipping delays and product shortages.”
Grevious reminds us the usual tips apply- like doing your research, watching out for phony websites and always make sure you use a credit card to make returns or issues easier. She says they have an entire page of shopping tips at BBB.org.
