Burt Flickinger, Managing Director, Strategic Resource Group joins Cheddar News. 

Wake Up With Cheddar

Holiday Shipping Deadlines Approach 

and joining us now is Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resource Group, which is a consumer goods and retail consulting firm. Burt, thanks so much for joining us. Welcome to the show. Can you briefly talk about the shipping deadlines that people need to know and what factors impact deliveries Chloe the shipping deadlines to urine baker's points are very important in that. Uh you have bad weather forecast for this weekend and next week for a lot of the country. You've got a driver shortage shortage of of of trucks and workers at the distribution centers. So the safest for the post office ups and feta is to ship by tomorrow, saturday february 18th for people who want to wait for better bargains because the retailers are going to be doing desperation discounting all week. You can still ship monday december 19th, Tuesday december 20 Wednesday december 2020 One and still get the packages there and Chloe. The retailers have up to 35% more unsold inventory now versus same time last year. So people procrastinate on shipping will save a lot more money with the best bargains in history next week as well as the week after Christmas and Hanukkah. Alright bro, that's good advice to now, how does this differ from last year in terms of delivery times that demand? We've obviously been pretty weighed down by some playtime issues since the pandemic started Chloe. The shipping dates are the same as last year, but to your and your team's good insight with christmas being on sunday december 25th that gives an entire full week uh two first ship and and give the drivers sufficient time to deliver next week. So it's it's ideal for saving and it's ideal for shipping Chloe. But one thing that we haven't discussed yet is buying online and picking up in store is this a viable option? What's the benefit there, Bowie buying online pick up in store. It gives the shopper the optimum or the best solution in terms of in stocks and not having to go to the store and not see the shelves stock. The other thing is for people who buy online when they go to the store, If they go in the store To buy other items, they'll spend 35-50% more than she or he originally planned. So just pick up buy online pick up and curb site to your point Chloe you wind up not doing unplanned or impulse purchases and and saving some money and just getting what you want and nothing more than what you want. Yeah but I'm sure those retailers would like for you to make some impulse buys. We're talking we talk a lot about that. I'm here. So good advice there now let's talk about inflation because it's really hit the wallets of many americans. We didn't see that slowdown shopping for black friday. So how are you anticipating americans might be spending into the christmas season. I want to note too that we have seen retail sales actually slipping this past month. Bowing to your important point. The U. S. Department of Commerce yesterday reported some very grim retail sales negative for consumer electronics, negative for furniture uh negative for department stores trending, negative for online trending, negative for builders supply, trending negative uh for autos all adjusted for inflation. So you have Chloe of 60% of consumers living paycheck to paycheck who can't afford her his monthly credit card bills to pay it all off. So because of the higher prices of food, fuel and electricity along with higher equivalent rent, americans are really getting squeezed. So as you and baker reported, Elon musk uh with all his billions doesn't have to worry. But the people on the street working every day, going to school shopping in the stores, they're really caught in a credit crunch and a cash cash constrained mint crunch. And the only people really benefitting our seniors and people on food stamps who get an inflation adjusted increase next week. But shoppers are really the majority shoppers are really struggling this season and that's what's different than last year. Yeah but it's always important to remember Elon musk and other billionaires. They're not like us. I'm sorry to end it on such a negative note there. But but thank you so much for your insight. That was a really insightful conversation and your time that's Burt Flickinger managing director of Strategic resource Group which is a consumer goods and retail consulting for him. Thanks again