Coming up on the shopping season. Easy answer is avoid malls.
Don’t shop on weekends.
Shop at outlying department stores that aren’t in main shopping districts off prime time.
Shop at Walmart (or other 24 hour store, many retail chains go 24 hours just for Christmas shopping) weekdays between 3 am and 6am when nobody else is up.
Don’t shop on Black Friday at all, it’s just not worth it, unless for some reason you absolutely have to have that $100 less expensive big screen TV that there is only 10 of per store but 500+ people want.
Buy decorations and seasonal gifts for next year when they go 50 to 75% off after Christmas.
Keep your sanity and keeps you out of higher profile targets/crowds. I’ve opted out of the Christmas shopping madness since 9/11/01. Nothing has happened yet, but also haven’t had any of the usual shopping season stresses either.
Something else to add to this, be VERY careful in parking lots. ALWAYS have a plan. Carry a set us useless keys, so if some thug demands them you can throw them over his head, then get away. Trust your instincts and if something appears to be wrong, it is.