This year has certainly not been a normal year for anyone. As the holiday season arrives, it is only getting harder. With COVID-19 continuing to spread rapidly, online shopping is going to be the best way to get all of the presents needed for the holiday season. Also, it brings a little fun and happiness into a dark, hard year.

According to senior Audrey Calcaterra, the best sites to holiday shop on are the ones that are easy to navigate.

“I love sites that have sections for different types of people you need to buy gifts for,” Calcaterra ‘21 said. “Sites like Amazon and Nordstrom are perfect for this. Really any big department-type stores are great.”

Other stores that are great to shop online are the stores that are located in Somerset Collection Mall. Go to their website, look at the list of stores, and find the website online. They have a wide variety of stores ranging from clothing to electronics, which is great for any gifting you need to do.

Another great way to shop during the holidays is locally. Especially during this pandemic, local clothing, jewelry, shoe stores need the business.

While staying safe and maintaining a distance from others, shopping in the village, the hill, and on Mack Avenue is a great way to holiday shop, according to Calcaterra.

“I really love places like Savvy Chic, Girlie Girl, and Taylor Reese to get gifts for my friends and family for the holiday season,” Calcaterra said. “They have a different variety of options for everyone and if you don’t see anything, you can always get gift cards to those places.”

The most important thing during this holiday season is to stay safe. Follow the guidelines that the CDC recommends but still get your loved ones a special gift for this holiday season.