If you’ve already finished your holiday season shopping, you get to sit out the craziness and mayhem at the malls. But the rest of us need to pack some patience and a little common sense to get everything on our shopping lists checked off.
The National Retail Federation is predicting that Americans will spend an estimated $447.1 billion during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. That’s a 2.3 percent increase over retail sales during the previous year’s holiday season.
If you’ll be joining the throngs of people racing to the malls to get their shopping done between now and Dec. 24, here are some holiday shopping safety tips to keep in mind:
* Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. When paying with cash at the register, try to only pull out of your wallet the exact amount needed, not the entire stash.
* Never leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart, on a countertop or in your car. If you do, you may be asking for trouble. Opportunistic thieves are plentiful during the Christmas season.
* Don’t carry large amounts of cash, and minimize the number of debit or credit cards you carry.
* Try to shop during daylight hours and if you do shop at night, park in a well-lit area.
* Request that the mall security guard escort you to your vehicle if you are uncomfortable going into the parking lot alone.
* When returning to your vehicle, have your keys in your hand and lock your doors as soon as you’re inside.
* Shop with others whenever possible; if shopping with children, make sure they know what to do if they become separated from you.
* Report suspicious activity to store/mall security or law enforcement.
Following these safety tips for the holidays should help keep the season memorable for you … for all the right reasons.
