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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader, I remember the quaint days of yore, when a journalist’s duty at Christmas was telling shoppers where they might find a Tickle Me Elmo doll.
MLive reporters Taylor DesOrmeau and Lindsay Moore are finding that covering holiday retail shopping during a pandemic is far more complex than tracking down the next delivery of in-demand toys.
The business and data reporters on our statewide team have been interviewing experts and telling stories about supply-chain backlogs, labor shortages and a rising rate of inflation. The cause is COVID and all of its offshoots – how the surge is affecting people getting into stores, stimulus money stoking increased demand for products, and vaccine mandates putting added stresses on employers.
They’ve also been living the story.
“All the Christmas gifts in my own personal experience? I started shopping last month and I haven't received any of them yet,” Moore said. “The supply-chain backlog is real.”
COVID has been a 20-month exercise in paradoxes, contradictions and workarounds. And this holiday season is no different.
Michigan leads the country in COVID hospitalizations and deaths, but DesOrmeau wrote recently that the Michigan Retailers Association reported that October was the strongest sales month in the state since June.
And, that its members are seeing an increase in shoppers coming out to brick-and-mortar stores, rather than shopping online. DesOrmeau says that is due in part to more people having received vaccines and boosters, but also a sense of COVID vigilance fatigue.
“People feel they already did their sacrifice last Christmas and now they want to get back to it,” he said. “When I go into stores I don't really see anybody wearing masks, even though our numbers are higher than they've ever been. It seems like people are much less concerned even though the risk is still just as high.”
Once in the stores, shoppers are likely to find higher prices – inflation and rising fuel prices are driving prices up on many items – and scarce supplies of certain items, due to supply-chain issues.
Shopping options may be limited this year. Clothing, jewelry and electronics? All up in price, DesOrmeau notes. Experiences, like vacation travel? Fuel prices, hotels and rental cars, all peak prices.
“Well, that's not really an option, either,” he said. “If Little Johnny has been bad this year, maybe you'll just get him a lump of coal? Coal is two times the price from last year. So, it’s the same situation across the board for everybody.”
So, facing all that and with less than two weeks to go until Christmas, what can you do to fill Santa’s bag?
Shop local: “You know where your local favorite shop is, you know that owner,” Moore said. “I think we were all in 2020 missing the human connection part of shopping, right? And 67 cents of every dollar stays in the community.”
Keep some perspective on rising prices: “It’s not drastically more expensive this year. (Inflation) is 6 percent, so if you’re buying $100 worth of gifts, it might be $106,” DesOrmeau said. “But wages are increasing as well … hopefully that will offset.”
Be flexible, and channel the spirit of the season: “The overarching message is, change your expectations this year,” Moore said. “You're going to pay more and wait longer, and we're all fed up. So have some patience. Be nice to your retail workers -- they're really trying.”
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Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at [email protected].
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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