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About The Redmond spokesman. (Redmond, Crook County, Or.) 1910-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2021)
P2 The SpokeSman • WedneSday, november 17, 2021 BBB ADVICE Don’t let shortages spoil your holiday shopping BY BEN SPRADLING bbb advice I f you’re waiting until Black Friday to start your holiday shopping, there may not be much left. Snags in the supply chain are ex- pected to make popular gifts harder to come by this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has created shortages in es- sential items needed to make many of the products that typically fill holiday wish lists. Purchasing the perfect pres- ent may require some faster, proactive action. The microchip scarcity, for exam- ple, has made it more difficult to con- nect with high-demand tech products such as gaming systems, computers and smart appliances. Toys that fea- ture light, sound and motion may be harder to find, too. Retailers have taken notice, and as a result, holiday pro- motions are popping up earlier than ever. But even if you are seeing those deals Spradling sooner, there may not be as many. Businesses have less in- centive to place items on sale when in- ventory is running low. Retailers are also having to pay more than usual for inventory making it harder to offer the same bargains they did last year. In fact, you may face escalating prices as supplies be- come depleted. Shortages don’t have to ruin your holidays, though. Getting all the right gifts for your friends and family is still an achiev- able goal. It may just require faster ac- tion and added flexibility. Better Business Bureau recom- mends taking these steps as you get a jumpstart on holiday shopping: • Start with a strategy. Identify the gifts you think may be more popular this holiday season and target those items first. If laptops, gaming con- soles, or smart devices are products your family wants this year, then it’s time to get moving. Supply chain is- sues have already made some items unavailable until next year. • Set a budget. Expect the prices of some gifts to skyrocket. Retailers have had to pay more to offer some items, so they may not be extending deals to customers. Establishing a budget may help corral your spending amidst some crazy costs. This may even be a good year to consider purchasing fewer presents. • Build a backup plan. Getting what you want when you want and at the price you want is likely not go- ing to happen this winter. Not easily, anyway. So, try to adjust your expec- tations and come up with some alter- natives should things not play out like you hope. If you know a microchip shortage has made some items scarcer than usual, then shop for gifts that are less likely to be impacted. Outdoor toys, for example, should remain in stock at affordable prices. • Be a cautious customer. High de- mand and limited supplies are perfect conditions for customers to be taken advantage of. It’s important to remem- ber that when a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Counterfeit goods are expected to be more com- mon this year, too. Check out these tips to help you become a smarter consumer. • Shop local. This will be a great year to visit small businesses in your area! Handcrafted goods are perfect last-minute gifts to help support your local community. Researching vendors you’re unfa- miliar with is the best way to make sure you’re doing business with a le- gitimate retailer. Use trusted websites, including BBB.org. For more consumer tips, visit trust- bbb.org. FIRST NONSTOP FLIGHT TO RENO-TAHOE Aha!, an Ex- pressJet Airlines leisure carrier, departed Red- mond on Friday for its inaugural nonstop flight to Reno-Tahoe International Airport. These nonstop flights operate Mon- days, Wednes- days and Fridays from Redmond to Reno-Tahoe. The airline is offer- ing introductory fares of $49 each way through Nov. 15. ExpressJet operates Embraer ERJ145 regional jet aircraft. Ex- pressJet is major- ity owned KAir Enterprises with United Airlines holding a mi- nority interest. — Bulletin staff report ryan brennecke/bulletin photos ABOVE: A pair of fire trucks spray water into the air as the inaugural Aha! flight departs from Red- mond Municipal Airport to Reno-Tahoe Interna- SUDOKU WEATHER Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9, with no repeats. FORECAST Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday monday Tuesday LAST WEEK HIGH LOW 48 53 51 52 55 56 49 33 40 33 32 35 37 34 HIGH LOW partly Cloudy pm Showers am Showers partly Cloudy partly Cloudy partly Cloudy partly Cloudy PRECIP monday, nov. 8 55 27 0 Tuesday, nov. 9 55 30 0 Wednesday, nov. 10 52 25 0.16 Thursday, nov. 11 65 46 0.65 Friday, nov. 12 65 47 0.07 Saturday, nov. 13 67 39 0 Sunday, nov. 14 69 44 0 precipitation to date this year: 5.52 inches * = daily record national Weather Service broadcasts are on 162.50 mhz. Answers on Page 4 Mailing Address: p.o. box 6020, bend, or 97708 Office Number: 541-548-2184 NEWSROOM CONTACT: Gerry o’brien, gobrien@bendbulletin.com NEWS ASSISTANT: Lydia valenti, lvalenti@redmondspokesman.com ADVERTISING CONTACT: debbie Coffman, dcoffman@bendbulletin.com OFFICE HOURS: by appointment Answers on Page 4 NEWS & SPORTS: 541-633-2166, news@redmondspokesman.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING: 541-383-0393, adv@redmondspokesman.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: 541-923-3725, classified@redmondspokesman.com OBITUARIES: 541-385-5809, classified@redmondspokesman.com CIRCULATION: 541-923-1370, circ@redmondspokesman.com TO SUBSCRIBE: 541-923-1370, circ@redmondspokesman.com • home delivery print: $52 per year • e-edition alone: $52 per year • mailed in oregon: $60 per year • mailed outside oregon: $80 per year POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: p.o. box 6020, bend, or 97708. periodicals postage paid at bend, or, and at additional mailing offices. USpS 778-040
