Y’all, I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, but we are online shopping in droves. Say what you will, but online shopping has got to be in people’s top 5 things to do during the pandemic, because honey, we are wearing these retailers and vendors OUT. And that is exactly why you need to get moving NOW if you’re attempting to do any small gatherings this year for the holidays.

Let me give you a little background: every year between August and October (and sometimes a bit of November depending on what it is), interior design retailers and providers are working to lock in new purchases and renovations in time for the coming holidays, starting with Thanksgiving and leading through to New Year’s Day. During this time, you might see deeper sales on items, Friends and Family events for customers and employees, and marketing that actually says, “get it in time for the holidays.” Pretty simple and straight to the point, right?

Well folks, just like with everything else having to do with 2020, you’re SOL (swift out of luck) if you think you’re going to be able to even wait until mid-September to confidently secure your new furniture and design for any holidays this year. Why? Because the furniture and decor retailers out there are having some seriously delayed lead times. To keep it simple, a lead time is the expected delivery period. When you purchase custom pieces, it’s usual for a lead time to be 4-6 or 8-10 weeks depending on the product and company. However, even “in stock” items are rolling through with up to 10 week lead times, if not more.

“How is that possible,” you say? Hmm (in my Tony Baker voice)? It’s because everyone’s buying furniture and home items! The purchasing climate has changed y’all, and between people being stuck where they are and realizing that home isn’t the wonderful, functional place they thought it was, a lot of furniture and decor is being bought and sold. And it’s not just “regular people” with no inside connections having these problems either. Designers are running into huge lead times as well, and that pushes completion dates back. Hello ever-mounting frustration! Point blank, there are no guarantees right now with anything if you have a Holiday deadline.

So because I love you all, here’s what you can do to get what you need and remove some of the added stress that is to come with planning this year’s holiday get togethers:

• Decide if you really need it for the holiday or not. If not, then your worry is already over. If you do, prepare for the worst case scenario. As long as you’re prepared for the worst, you won’t be disappointed if everything runs smoothly.
• Purchase through a designer! You may think I’m biased for this one, but I have your best interests at heart. Designers are directly connected to vendors, who have reps that can provide full up-to-date news on lead times. Websites don’t always get it right, and by using a designer, you give yourself extra protection against initially getting items that won’t be ready in time AND can provide in-process updates if dates change, which happens more often than you think. Trust me.
• If you are secure in your decision to purchase on your own, double check the shipping times! Most sites will tell you when something is in stock and ready to go and when something is backordered or delayed. When they provide a ship date check to see if it’s close to your deadline. If so, be prepared for a material or project delay. Even better, purchase something else altogether with a quicker ship date. Same goes for contractors: either prepare for delays or look for one who is able to complete the job to your standards within the right timeframe.
• If you just simply don’t want to risk it, use some paint and small items you can grab at Target, and DIY the love into your home. There’s nothing worse than having to change plans at the last minute because the new dining table didn’t come in, or God-forbid you’re bathroom is demo’d and the sink and toilet won’t come in for another 2 months.

All in all, think smart for this holiday season, and do what you can to avoid adding anymore stress to a year that just doesn’t stop with the surprises. Also, like and subscribe to this page, and tell me what your plans are for celebrating this holiday season.