This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Safe Shopping Tips for the Holiday Season

Fairlane Town Center General Manager Catherine O'Malley offers her advice for keeping holiday shopping all fun, no fuss.

When you're looking for advice, you go to the experts, right? 

Patch picked up some shopping tips from Catherine O'Malley, who runs Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, and formerly managed Twelve Oaks shopping center in Novi. She's an avid shopper, too.

And while shopaholics everywhere look forward to the holiday season, O'Malley offered her tips for staying safe and having fun while shopping, whether at a mall, in the mad rush at Best Buy or Target on Black Friday, or picking up gifts from small businesses. 

Find out what's happening in Farmington-Farmington Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

1. "Make sure you're comfortable," O'Malley said, sharing that she often sees Black Friday shoppers at the mall in pajamas and slippers. Is it comfy? Then go for it! It's better to get the shopping done without blisters on your feet than to look perfect.

2. Stay hydrated and fueled. 

Find out what's happening in Farmington-Farmington Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

3. This tip is for all of those oversized purse lovers out there: "Don't carry a handbag if you don't have to," O'Malley advises. Instead, keep all cards, cash and IDs in a wallet in your pocket, or a small purse that can be worn close to the body.

4. Do not—I repeat, do NOT—put your bags down. It's an open invitation for a would-be thief to snag some free gifts at your expense.

5. That said, if you have too many bags, O'Malley says that guests at Fairlane can always get assistance from mall security staff to take their bags out to their car. And if you do make a shopping pit-stop anywhere, adds O'Malley: "Put them in the trunk of your car—not your back seat."

All in all, make sure that holiday shopping is as much fun as the gift-giving itself. Don't stress, and don't overdo it.

"It's stressful enough during the holidays," O'Malley said. "We want shoppers to have a good experience.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Farmington-Farmington Hills