Managing the Mall: 8 Holiday Shopping Strategies in Sonoma County

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As the holiday shopping season gains momentum, many find themselves dreading the to-do list, the crowds and the expense of showing our love and appreciation for others. Creating “holiday magic” can take a behind-the-scenes toll on even the most chipper of shoppers. Click through the gallery for advice on how to tame the tasks of holiday shopping. 

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Plan ahead: The "do your homework" message, tired as it may be, still applies. "Know what the sales are before you go in,” says Jessica Burnett of the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets. “Write down a list of essential people to shop for,” says Christa Williams of the Santa Rosa Plaza. These measures save time and money.

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Take a load off: Sometimes the pressure of what to buy overwhelms shoppers to the point of avoidance. Williams says, “Great gifts don’t need to fill a hole for something the person needs—Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the least expensive because it requires thoughtfulness. No one ever turns down a box of chocolates or a small trinket...”

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Look for savings: Check your mall’s website for shopping discounts at various retailers. But how about FREE pictures with Santa? Petaluma Village Premium Outlets will have photo ops with St. Nick on Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. during which you can snap your own photos. You will have instant results and a savings on those portrait packages offered elsewhere. Study your filters and get your hashtags ready!

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Avoid crowds: Holiday spirit and community gatherings are fun, but long lines and parking problems kind of take the joy out of all the togetherness. Shop early and avoid crowds and your curmudgeonly side. All malls are opening earlier and closing later, what they call “extra festive hours." Check their websites for times.

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Wrap it up and give back: Gift wrapping is often left on the back burner, behind lavish meal prep, teacher gift procurement and sitting in traffic. But students from Casa Grande and Petaluma high schools will be at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlet Mall during peak times to wrap gifts. The fee for their assistance is a donation to their schools’ clubs. 

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Get gift cards: Burnett recognizes that there are some who are “just not shoppers,” and she recommends gift card purchases as a “pretty painless” way to get shopping done. Simon Mall gift cards, which can be used at any store in the Simon malls in Sonoma County, have a low activation fee of $3.95.

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Reward yourself: Williams recommends the Hoppy Hour at locally-owned 2 Tread Brewing Company as a reward for all that work shopping. Craft beers and great bites are on tap Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m to 7 p.m. with $5 deals and a $4 beer of the day. Look for other holiday treats like peppermint bark ice cream at Haagen-Dazs and eggnog lattes at Starbucks.