Christmas is approaching a lot faster than you may think and the preparations for the festivities are continuing to become more challenging due to the pandemic. Underlying circumstances like in-person shopping regulations, travel restrictions, supply shortages, inflation and an unprecedented Santa shortage are to blame. These issues are not only individually problematic, but as they overlap, the issues become even more severe.
With so many pre-existing COVID-19 regulations, in person shopping has drastically changed. These regulations are proving to be even harder to follow as more and more people are returning to the streets. The holiday season is the busiest shopping season of the year and this raises the question of whether or not stores will take into account the immense amount of people they will have to serve. Massive sale events, like Black Friday, have begun to be transferred into both online and in-person events boosting revenue and giving shoppers a COVID-19 friendly alternative.
Going home for the holidays is such an exciting moment for so many separated families. These reunions are now increasingly more difficult due to the travel restrictions put into place. Being vaccinated has made the traveling process simpler and faster. However there are still requirements to abide by. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “You are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before you board your flight”. Certain larger cities are also placing restrictions on indoor events and guests may be asked to present a valid vaccination card in order to be granted entrance or service.
Holiday shopping just got even harder due to a shortage of supply. The Delta variant has had a huge impact on countries that are massive global manufacturers like Vietnam.
According to a report from CNBC, “A rising number of COVID infections and low vaccination rates have prompted the Vietnamese government to shut down a number of factories that manufacture apparel and shoes.” Factories were forced to shut down, stopping production over the past year. Inventories are now limited and whittling down as shopping continues and consumers are paying the price.
Inventories are not the only issue when it comes to holiday shopping. Prices continue to go up as inflation increases. According to tradingeconomics.com, a website that collects economic information from 196 countries, currently the inflation rate is at 6.2% which is the highest it’s been all year. The increase in prices makes it tough for people to manage their holiday spending and budgeting.
Lastly, and certainly the saddest issue of them all, is the shortage of Santas nationwide. Families and children look forward to the experience of visiting Santa at their local malls. However, this experience may not be possible this Christmas. Many Santas passed away last year due to COVID-19 according to USA TODAY. This year Santas are worried about contracting COVID themselves. Santas typically tend to be older putting them at a higher risk and that’s just not a risk they are willing to take this holiday season.
COVID-19 continues to perpetrate everyone’s lives in a multitude of ways. Taking on the holidays once again is incredibly difficult and stressful due to issues out of the public’s control. Taking into account all of the risks and factors that come with a Christmas during COVID, what will your COVID Christmas look like?
