More Than Half of Consumers Will Keep Out of Stores This Holiday Season Due to COVID-19

A new SecurityNerd survey finds that the pandemic will dramatically change retail holiday shopping behaviors. Respondents said the time-honored tradition of gift-giving will be impacted and that they have significant concerns that holiday shipments may not arrive safely.

• 54% plan to minimize in-store holiday shopping compared to years past
• 43% will scale back in-person holiday gift exchanges with friends and family
• 38% plan to ship directly from retailer to recipient
• 40% are concerned about "porch pirates" and package theft

"Despite the fact that festive get-togethers will see a decrease, most people's enthusiasm for giving gifts to loved ones is unwavering. Holiday gift shipping is set to break records and is likely to result in an increase of holiday package theft from front porches or doorsteps," says Julie Evans, consumer safety editor at SecurityNerd, an online resource that educates and empowers consumers about home security solutions.

SecurityNerd recommends these tips to minimize "porch pirate" grinches from taking your gifts and to ensure packages sent to friends and family arrive safely:

• Ask the recipient if there are any special instructions before sending the package. Some people can better keep an eye on their packages if they're delivered to their work address or to a neighbor while they're not home.
• Pickup is better. Many people would prefer to pick up the item at the post office, shipping center or locker, so it doesn't sit around unattended while they're away. If purchasing from a seller that has a brick-and-mortar store, have the item shipped to the store for the recipient to pick up.
• Sign up for tracking updates. This allows you to let the recipient know when to expect the package to be delivered.
• Request signature for delivery. Due to COVID-19, many shipping companies aren't requiring a signature, so delivery can be free of physical contact. Adding this designation will still mean that the driver must see that there's a person at the address before leaving the package.

*Survey Methodology: Google Surveys Report of 1501 respondents from October 5-8, 2020.

SecurityNerd is an online resource that educates and empowers consumers with knowledge about home security solutions to make smart buying decisions. To learn more, please visit SecurityNerd.com.