December is here, which means that holiday shopping is hitting retail stores in full force.  

Unlike traditional years, many shoppers are leaning towards online shopping options. This is still leaving retail stores overwhelmingly busy with shipping out online orders.  

In Orchard Park, the mask mandate has returned, and many usual retail customers are choosing to stay home either for safety reasons or refusal to comply.  The mandate came back right before Black Friday, the usual kick-off to the retail holiday season. 

“At the start of the season, we did see a return to massive amounts of in-store shoppers. But with this new set of rules from the country, the store traffic has been dead- the holidays just aren’t the same anymore for retail stores,” said  Maria Jones, manager of The LOFT in Orchard Park. 

People were eager to get back into stores and shop, but are now hesitant.  In-store shopping has become more of an inconvenience over the last two years, as most shopping can be done from the comfort of one’s home. 

Shoppers are going to have to take extra precautions if they choose to comply, and although they can shop in stores still, many are wondering how long that will last. 

“With the new set of COVID restrictions from Poloncarz, my family and myself have been rushing to get all of our holiday shopping done.  There’s the threat of another lockdown over our heads right now, and we don’t want to take any chances,” said Amaya Neuwirth, an Orchard Park High School senior. 

While Erie County is at risk of getting shut down again, people are getting the gifts they need for the holidays as quickly as possible. The COVID numbers are constantly changing, and with the four-phase plan from Erie Country, many want to prepare in case stores are closed. 

Retail workers dealing with an overwhelming amount of online orders. They fear that they may not get out before the holiday season ends. People want to ensure they have everything they need in case of further COVID restrictions. 

“Sometimes I find there are 500 plus online orders a day to be shipped out, and that’s not physically possible to do while having to complete other tasks in the store.  The online ordering feature is a great option for the current predicament of the world, it just worries me that they might not all get out on time,” said Cassie Fowler, a sales associate at The LOFT. 

Many people – specifically high school students, procrastinate holiday shopping till the last second.  For this year: don’t take that risk.  Whether one goes online and orders everything, or one gets into stores as soon as possible, gift shopping shouldn’t be at the bottom of one’s to-do list. 

These are unprecedented times, and nobody is sure of what may happen next. Don’t ruin the holiday season by waiting to get gifts and not being able to get them to a loved one until it’s over.