“Typically retailers get multiple deliveries
in throughout a holiday season, so even if
something is sold out earlier in the season, there’s
always a chance that it could come back in stock in
December,” says Katherine Cullen , senior director
of industry and consumer insights for the National
Retail Federation.
And remember all of those deliveries that were
supposed to arrive weeks ago? Well, they may
finally make their way onto U.S. soil — and onto
store shelves in the weeks ahead.
“With some of these delays that are impacting
retailers at ports, we need to consider those
holiday shipments they’ve scheduled for
November. Maybe they’ll be coming in December,”
Cullen says.
Besides physically visiting stores or manually
checking websites for product availability, you
can also let technology do the work for you. On
many retail sites, you can enter your email address
and sign up to be notified when a particular item
comes back in stock.
CHECK DELIVERY DEADLINES
Once you find something you want to buy, make
sure you’ll get it in time for holiday gatherings. If
you’re unsure if something will arrive when you
need it, Cullen recommends checking a retailer’s
website and social media accounts, or calling your
local store.
Cullen says retailers typically advertise order-by
deadlines on their websites. These are the last
days to order if you want your online purchases to
come by Christmas. If you pass the deadline, you
may have to pay extra for expedited shipping. Or,
you could miss Christmas delivery altogether.