In the past, Katie Trapp relied on wandering in beautifully decorated shops and listening to holiday carols to ignite her holiday spirit.

"Our daughter is 3 years old and cannot be vaccinated, so I will not go to the mall," she said. "When COVID is devastating so many people, I hate complaining about not shopping, but it's a bit frustrating."

Continued concerns about COVID-19 this year continue to change consumer patterns. Given supply chain bottlenecks, product shortages, slower deliveries, understaffed retailers’ slow service, rising prices, and tight budgets of their own, some Minnesotaans are breaking their long-standing gift-buying tradition.

Mary Meehan, CEO of Panoramix Global, a Minneapolis-based consumer research company, said: “This new perspective and perspective on consumption is one of the unexpected consequences of the pandemic era. ."

In December of this year, Meehan linked consumer complexity to the rise in technology and e-commerce. The Adobe Digital Price Index predicts that Americans’ online spending in November and December will reach a record US$207 billion, an increase of 10% over the same period in 2020.

"The pandemic urges us to use online options, otherwise it will take years for widespread adoption. A larger percentage of us feel comfortable and confident about online purchases; people use search bars and filters wisely to find what they want, "Meehan said.

It turns out that the promotion of local shopping during the second holiday of the pandemic is a gift to independent Minnesota merchants who sell handicrafts, handmade products or antiques online on etsy.com.

As a medical equipment analyst who has been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, when Trapp put on a mask and rushed into her craft market in the community center near Maple Grove, she broke her determination to avoid shopping in person. She found a booth with a wooden sign and ordered one for $25 for customization and delivery.

"My daughter's name is Paisley; there are not many of her names on it. I am very excited to hang it on her swing," Trapp said.

The CEO of Etsy expects this year to be a strong year, and the platform's sales in 2021 are expected to increase by 140% over the same period in 2019.

Eight out of ten Etsy store owners are single-person businesses. This is the case with Ann Schiller, who was an art teacher in Bloomington when she started selling her Minnesota-themed designs in 2009.

As a graphic artist, she successfully sold her original illustrations — on shirts, blankets, playing cards, and customized invitations — and eventually turned to run her Event 123 business full-time. Now, Schiller and her family have also moved to Park Rapids, where she runs a physical store during the summer months to meet the needs of the cabin crowd.

"I have been busy receiving numbers. Customers are eager to support small businesses," she said. "But I also rely on the supply chain. I have trouble ordering ink cartridges. If I can’t print, I’m done. I’m using my slower old printer, but I can still get ink. When do you rely By yourself, you will find a way to make it work."

This is the first holiday of the crafts made and sold by Looney Sisters. This is the name of an epidemic enterprise founded by sisters Connie Walerius and Sue Roycraft and Sue's husband Dick.

"We have always been very cunning, and when we had nothing to do at night and on weekends, we started to wander around to see what we could come up with," Roycraft said. "We like what we are making, and we think we should take this seriously."

The three worked in the Valerius heated garage in Brooklyn Park, making plaques, puzzles and coasters out of resin and Minnesota wood; their Skoll! Signs have found followers among Vikings fans.

Half of the startup's sales are sold to Etsy shoppers through booths at weekend craft fairs held around the Twin Cities. This is where Katie Trapp ordered the Paisley Park sign.

"Over time, buyers like to have something on hand. They are looking for something reliable," Valerius said.

Some shoppers looking for bargains or unusual items are turning to social media sites and e-commerce platforms such as eBay. With the end of the shopping season, the second-hand buyer-to-buyer options on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist provide convenience for local porch pick-up and online payment.

Meehan of Panoramix Global believes that interest in these resale platforms is consistent with what she calls the "new priorities" of the era, including environmental awareness.

"It's an honor to buy second-hand goods now," she said. "It's an exciting thing to make a deal, and it's easy to get these things when it's online."

Susan Kallsen estimates that she has sold thousands of treasures online. In 1995, she started listing products on eBay, when it was still called Auction Web. In recent years, she has joined Etsy, Mercari and Facebook Marketplace.

"I find discounts in thrift stores or buy new things during clearance," she said. “I bought a dozen [high-quality] bed sheets at a discount, and then resold them at a profit of 30%. Everyone who bought it got a deal, and we were all very happy.”

Kallsen also uses these platforms as buyers.

"I just bought a pair of vintage clip-on earrings for my mother," she said. “I’m just shopping online now, and it’s worth it for me to have them deliver goods.”

However, she said the shipping delays have hit Carlson and other sellers. Due to seasonal worker shortages, deliveries have become more expensive and unreliable.

The pandemic issues that force consumers to change their behavior may at least lead to some permanent changes in the retail industry.

"Challenge has become our way of life," Meehan said. "The world has changed, I can't go back."

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