Most people shopping for holiday gifts downtown seem to gravitate toward the frugal and simple options.
According to The Attic employee Newton Rodgers (senior-psychology), scarves have been one of the most popular gift items this year, a consensus that was shared by employees of multiple downtown shops.
“A lot of people have been buying scarves, especially the infinity scarves,” Grace Brauteseth, a Metro employee said, “We just got a lot ordered in because they get sold so quickly.”
Megan Anderson said she was doing some holiday shopping downtown and planned to buy small items such as scarves and jewelry for the Secret Santa exchange she is participating in with her friends.
Anderson (senior-media studies) said that accessory items make a nice gift for the amount of money she was planning to spend.
“People tend to buy the same sorts of gifts because they are a bit safer financial,” Moriah Rapaport (sophomore-marketing), a Metro employee, said.
Brauteseth said she thinks scarves are one of the biggest gifts right now because they are easier and safer to buy for another person, as opposed to other clothing items.
Elizabeth Thomas (sophomore-marketing) said that she has noticed that a lot of people buy reasonably priced Penn State apparel for their family members as gifts.
Nick Martino is one of those people. Martino (freshman-psychology) said he plans to give friends and family a lot of collegiate attire because it is an easy option and demonstrates his identity as a college student.
Another cold weather accessory that would be a unique and useful substitute to the typical scarf are touch-screen gloves.
“They’re basically just regular gloves but you can text or be on the pone with them,” Brianna Robinson (junior-communications), an Urban Outfitters employee, said.
Urban Outfitters has a wide selection of colors available for both men and women.
Brauteseth said that she thinks an alternative to the usual gifts is to give someone a completed outfit. At Metro, Brauteseth said an employee can get in on the fun of picking out a gift.
“I think it would be a cool idea to have an employee help you pick out a whole outfit and wrap it in one of our gift boxes,” Brauteseth said.
An average alternative gift could be a poster of a favorite band or wall-frame that contains a witty quote. Unique options can be easily found at downtown stores such as The Apple Tree and Urban Outfitters.
Another lower cost gift for that allows for everyday use will is a unique iPhone case.
“A lot of people are coming in and buying phone cover and other things for their iPhones,” Jaque Gerrick (junior-communications), an Urban Outfitters employee said.
The store carries cases that could appeal to anyone. A few interesting options include studded or floral cases and a case that resembles a vintage cassette tape.
This holiday season, it is apparent that there is no need to break the bank when shopping for loved ones.
To email reporter: jek5343@psu.edu
