It’s holiday shopping crunch time, but there’s no need to stress.
By adding a few tech tricks to your shopping repertoire, you can have a quicker, potentially less expensive and possibly more fun experience than ever before.
And there may even be less cause for returning unwanted gifts after Christmas.
Online window shopping
Remember the days of getting an actual toy catalog and having children flip through the pages? It was a full afternoon activity for kids to sit down, get their imaginations spinning and circle the coveted gifts they wanted on their wish list.
Even though physical toy catalogs may be a thing of the past, Amazon has a similar online option for parents and kids to discover. The Virtual Holiday Shop and Virtual Toy Shop use immersive 3D to create an interactive website that will help shoppers feel inspired and maybe discover new products along the way.
Exploring the websites is like entering an actual store, and users can zoom in on products that pique their interest. Cheerful music is an option and the shops feature more than 300 gifts and toys, many plucked from Amazon’s top 100 holiday gifts.
The Toy Shop has a conveyor belt of gifts on the ceiling with interactive surprises when you click. Amazon will refresh product options in the shops throughout the season.
You can also discover other virtual showrooms for items from specific genres. Look for special rooms with apparel, toys and other gifts from the worlds of “Wicked,” “Star Wars,” Lego or Hogwarts.
Inexpensive Amazon gifts
Amid the rise of super inexpensive goods from certain online retailers, Amazon is getting in on the game.
No doubt as a pushback to brands like Shein and Temu, Amazon Haul is a beta program with thousands of items for $20 or less.
Shoppers must spend $25 for free shipping — even if you’re a Prime member — and it will take one to two weeks for delivery. The reason it will take a bit longer than usual for Amazon to get the goods to your doorstep is that the product comes directly from China instead of closer Amazon warehouses.
Know that the more you order, the bigger the discount. For instance, orders of $50-$74.99 earn an extra 5% off and orders more than $75 earn an extra 10% off.
All returns are free for orders over $3, but you must initiate the return within 15 days instead of the standard 30 days.
Items from Amazon haul still have Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee ensuring product authenticity and quality when buying from a third-party seller. This is a mobile-only experience for now; just search for “haul” in the Amazon app.
Google Map your gifts
If you have a gift in mind but aren’t sure which stores carry it, Google Maps is coming to the rescue. Users can now search for items like pickleball rackets, toasters, hoodies and more to find nearby stores that have them in stock.
As you search for everything from home goods to electronics, Google Maps displays individual product listings alongside locations where you can find generic examples of the items.
If you’re out and about wondering where to pick up that certain gift for someone special on your list, this feature could save you a lot of time.
Best gift registries
Finally, if you can get everyone to buy in to the idea, a private gift registry app may mean the end to post-Christmas gift returns.
An app like Giftster allows you to form groups for your family, friends or co-workers, and then everyone inputs gifts they’d love to receive. Anyone in the group can view each other’s wish lists and purchase desired items — whether or not anything is actually purchased is hidden from the list maker.
Giftster also has a secret Santa feature that digitally draws names for everyone in the group. The app is free, private and can help avoid duplicate purchases.