What do you hate most about the holiday shopping season?

Discussion in Stores Reviews, Comments & Complaints started by lrd913 • Oct 19, 2014.

  1. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    I am actually not really all that much of a shopper to begin with. It has never really been all that much fun to me, or for me. If I shop, then I go straight for what I need, and I'm out of there once I have gotten what I initially went into the store to purchase. No loitering at all with me lol. With Christmas shopping the whole process seems to be drawn out and prolonged. So naturally I was never going to be a fan of holiday season shopping.
     
  2. Rhoda D'ettore

    Rhoda D'ettoreMember

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    The joy of it. Christmas is so commercialized now that you are obligated to buy for people rather than just giving. People are always trying to "match" the gift. It is insane. I know too women who every year exchange a card with a $100 bill in it. What is the point? I gave you $100, now give it back to me? Why not just give up?
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I don't like the long lines and crowded areas where you have to angle your body to the side at times when you're walking, because there are just too many people in the store. Also, being obliged to give a gift out of courtesy when you don't even like the person, like in those Secret Santa parties.
     
  4. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    The conditions that you described above are awful, but some years they are made even more awful by the weather. There is nothing worse than snow or frost, coupled with impatient crowds. Seeing people fall over on the ice is always funny those. I usually see someone fall over each year, provided that the ground is frosty/slippery enough. It is so hard to contain your laughter lmaooo.
     
  5. CrystalMarie

    CrystalMarieActive Member

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    I hate the crowds during the holiday shopping season. I get really anxious around large groups of people. This is ironic sense I live in the center of a major city (School :( ). During the holidays I usually try to get all my gifts and stuff online.
     
  6. Amanda K

    Amanda KActive Member

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    I read recently that Halloween is actually the second most commercially successful holiday. You would never know it considering how briefly the merchandise is available. I tried to piecreate together a costume over a week before Halloween and everything was sold out. I guess the store (CVS) underestimated the popularity of halloween- or just wanted everything out of the way so they could put up Christmas merchandise. The christmas season is just too long these days.
     
  7. TheViper

    TheViperActive Member

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    What I hate most is probably Black Friday. The shoving and the violence to just get a item for a couple of dollars off. Going to Black Friday almost landed me in jail as people were constantly trying to start fights. Then you try to help others that fall over in the crowd and you other people shoving you down as well! All around just chaos and I vow to never again shop during that day.
     
  8. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    Well that is why so many people love the internet. They can shop online months ahead of the Holiday Season, and cut all of the waiting in line, and all of the 'sold out,' problems. You actually don't have to leave your home. I suppose the only downfall would be that the items could be faulty for all of that time, and you may not know. Whereas if you buy something in person, it seems like you would be more likely to make sure that it works in the store.
     
  9. Serena

    SerenaActive Member

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    I hate the traffic and the huge crowds! The traffic here is just unimaginable during these times of year. Traffic is already too much here. You can be in standstill traffic for hours. During the holidays, standstill traffic is double or triple this. I just stay home during these times because it is just too much to deal with.
     
  10. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    The story about the two women exchanging $100 bills is funny. I guess that they want to show the intent to give a gift, but really all they're doing is refunding each other's Christmas money. What a bizarre ritual. I guess they're both hard to buy for.
     
  11. quitetenacious

    quitetenaciousNew Member

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    I hate dealing with the holiday crowds just like everybody. My biggest pet peeve has got to be the massive droves of people waiting to check out at walmart among the numerous registers with only two actually attended by a cashier to check everybody out.
     
  12. PlainVanilla

    PlainVanillaNew Member

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    My first retail job was at Walmart as a temporary/seasonal stocker in Toys during the holidays. I hated how people would drop their kids off in the department and tell them to stay there while they went shopping for other things. Then their darling angels would trash the department, run around and make pests of themselves. Some kinds even opened the toys and left them everywhere. When the parents came back, they acted like their kids did nothing wrong even when one of the managers told them that the next time they leave their kids alone anywhere in the store, then management would call Child Services. Of course, this was back in 1988 when kids actually wanted toys instead of electronics.
     
  13. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    Many people - including my immediate family - do the same for birthdays. it is definitely strange. Some of out birthdays are days apart, so essentially you are giving the person back the same amount of money that they gave you. Almost like you borrowed it from them, knowing that you will have to pay it back to them when their birthday rolls around not too soon after. So strange, but anything to keep people off of my back lol.
     
  14. Lady350

    Lady350Member

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    Not noticing the children

    I don't like that when people are shopping, they do not remember that there is a whole world beneath their elbows that is occupied by our children. They are hit by carts, purses, and swinging arms. I try to leave my children at home during the holiday season because of the unawareness of children. I take my children to do their shopping in early November.
     
  15. gmckee1985

    gmckee1985Active Member

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    Yeah, people who bring their kids of shopping trips are just the worst. I mean going to the grocery store or something is fine but getting them in black friday shopping is just a very dumb idea. You're just asking for trouble and it's a nuisance to all of the other shoppers for the most part. I'd advise people to leave their kids at home.
     
  16. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    I agree; it can be quite frustrating when people bring their kids because they have them in push chairs and such. These stores are most often already crowded enough without push chairs in the way, further crowding the stores. I bet that the most pick pocketing goes down during holiday seasons because you are literally rubbing shoulders with people. i should imagine that it would be easy for criminals to slip their hands into pockets and grab purses.
     
  17. gmckee1985

    gmckee1985Active Member

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    I wonder what type of holiday season we're in for this year. The economy seems to be doing just a bit better so I'm guessing retailers are preparing for an increase in sales over last year at this time. I'm undecided as to whether or not I will attempt to get out into the crowd this year. I can't think of anything I want badly enough to actually put up with the black friday crowds. Think I'll wait it out until closer to Christmas time.
     
  18. plantain

    plantainMember

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    One thing I really hate is the proliferation of Christmas-themed junk. Every possible item you can think of comes out in a Christmas theme. Mostly decorations, stuff that serves no purpose other than to clutter up a shelf, like a snowman statue or something. I mean, I like decorating my house for Christmas, but just a little bit, and you really only need to buy decorations once. You gotta remember before you buy more decor stuff that it will be taking up space in your garage 11 months of the year. (I mean, you can't be leaving that stuff around your house in April or your guests are going to laugh at you :D ) Someone in here said that some people buy new decorations every year and throw the old stuff out. How horrible! Makes me sad thinking of how many red and green tchotchkes are going to end up in the landfill come January.

    I do usually shop in stores in December (not Black Friday), because it works well for how I buy most of my gifts. I have a list of people I need to buy for but don't know exactly what to get them yet. So I go into a few stores that have cool stuff, mull over everything until I find something nice, then figure out which person that gift is best suited for. Dealing with the crowds does get stressful though. I think slowly over time, online shopping is going to dominate. But for now, there are still a lot of people who prefer to shop in stores. Perhaps they are older / less tech-savvy, or they truly think that they are getting a better deal, or various reasons.
     
  19. Allison2021

    Allison2021Active Member

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    I hate, hate, hate the traffic around the shopping malls. I get up extra early in the morning to get to the mall by 8:45 am. I want to be one of the first through the door. I want to experience the sales staff when they are bright eyed and bushy tailed. They are most pleasant in the morning. Then, I love going home by 11:00 am in the morning. I could only hope to avoid all of that dreadful traffic.
     
  20. lrd913

    lrd913Active Member

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    I know people that do that as well. I try to pick out nice gifts for people. I always try to look and figure out something that they would really love, or something that they would never buy for themselves. I've been very disappointed in the past to do that and then receive money in a card, or a gift card for Walmart or something. Now I just buy gift cards for most people. No one seems to take the time to pick out actual gifts anymore. It's very disappointing.