Letter from Boston Start Shopping Now By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
クリスマス買い物は今から ものすごい人混みのショッピングセンターで、もみくちゃになりながら、家族や友人へのクリスマスプレゼントを購入した雅子さん。もうあんな買い物はこりごりです。新年の始めから、余裕を持ってその年のクリスマスショッピングをスタートさせるのが、賢いやり方というもの。この戦略、皆さんも参考にしてみては？

Christmas doesn't mean much to me as a formal holiday, but I still like to give gifts to my friends and family at the end of the year to show my gratitude and affection.

The question is how one can be a successful shopper without having to battle frantic crowds at the mall. After being forced to shop during one of the busiest shopping days of the year - any Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas - I have tried to come up with some strategies so that I won't have to go through that unpleasant experience again.

Buy Gifts During the Off-Season

I know people who constantly keep a keen eye out for good gifts all round. They don't hesitate to stock up on sale items during post-Christmas sales in January and keep them in their closets until the next Christmas rolls around. Indeed, now is the time one can do the best Christmas shopping possible!

Use the Internet

One friend of mine found a card that he knew a friend of his would like, so he bought it immediately with the intention of giving it to her later on. He said it's better than hurrying to buy a less-than-perfect item at the last minute.

Yes, it's true that many online shopping sites have been facing severe financial difficulties because they grew too fast and too flashy without having a solid business plan in place. Yes, it's true that one cannot examine items before buying them on the Internet. Yes, it's true that one must rather pay for shipping and wait for the items to arrive (sometimes late). However, I still find Internet shopping very convenient.

I have bought out-of-print cookbooks at a steep discount via the Internet. I have bought cheese making supplies that I couldn't find in three well-stocked supermarkets. I have bought most of my specialized computer simulation manuals through the Internet as well.

As long as one knows exactly what one is looking for, and one is not in a hurry, Internet shopping is great. This is especially true if one is looking for specialty items that are hard to find in general supermarkets and department stores.

Shop Locally

Centralized malls are like battlefields during the Christmas season, since people come from near and far to shop there. To make matters worse, most of the shops in large malls are chain stores, meaning one could end up wasting a lot of time buying a gift that the recipient could just as easily buy at a branch of that store near their home. For this reason, I like shopping at small stores and boutiques near where I live.

The owners of these sorts of stores usually put in a good amount of effort to create a distinct local flavor. Granted, this strategy works only if one lives in an area that has such stores, but even if there is only one local store nearby, I think it's worth investigating this option. Even grocery stores can have lots of local flavor. For instance, the convenience store right in front of my apartment has a wide selection of Brazilian foods: a collection of these goods could make a nice gift basket.

Make Your Own

Speaking of giving food as gifts, I have heard that a good number of people are choosing to make their own products to give as Christmas presents. This is partly to save money, but it's also to communicate a personal message to the re cipient.

The fact of the matter is that many people don't need more material goods. But who can eat enough homemade cookies? I myself have baked jumbo cookies as presents, and I have decorated them with chocolate designs. They cost only a few dollars each, they can be shared by many and they won't take up space and collect dust in the back of some closet.

Of course, taking the easy way out has its drawbacks. Many people will claim that Christmas shopping just isn't the same without cranky shoppers, inefficient store clerks, lines snaking-up to the cash registers and kids screaming in the aisles.

It's true that I feel a kind of exhilaration when I emerge from the battlefield, take a breath of fresh air, and enjoy my victory with a cup of coffee. I guess most people will adhere to this annual ritual next Christmas, even though they don't have to. I probably will, too.

Shukan ST: Jan. 5, 2001

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