Happy holidays! Like so many things this year, holiday gift giving is sure to be different. For one thing,  most states in the U.S. have mandated stay at home orders to limit the spread of COVID19. This has left no room to leave your gift giving to last minute, in-person shopping. That said, shipping delays are a major concern this holiday season, with holiday shoppers wondering how to get gifts to their loved ones amidst lockdown restrictions.

Experts say that today is the last day to place orders with express shipping that will arrive in time for Christmas. So, unless you know exactly what you need to buy for everyone on your list right now, it’s time to consider giving gifts that don’t require shipping. Luckily, there are many apps, subscriptions and other digital options you can give that will surely delight everyone on your list.

If Black Friday’s recording breaking sales showed us anything, more and more U.S. consumers are moving their giving process -- from shopping to shipping -- to mobile. From November 1 to November 29, U.S. consumers downloaded 59.2 million shopping apps. This represented a 15% increase in downloads from the 51.7 million downloaded in November 2019. For reference, year-over-year growth in app downloads from 2018 to 2019 was 2%. Many of the apps downloaded were from brick and mortar retailers offering discounts for shopping on their app.

To stay on trend with the growing movement to mobile in shopping, here is our 2020 digital gift guide. These options forgo the headache of shipping delays. They also fulfill the hearts desire of every loved one on your list!

For the Netflix Chiller 

For the person who has mastered the classics (Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+) and is looking for new content to consume from new, more niche streaming services:

  • Peacock ($9.99/month or $4.99/month if you are a Comcast subscriber): NBC's long-awaited streaming platform is home to The Office (leaving Netflix in Jan. 2021), Parks and Recreation, Hell's Kitchen, and more, plus new shows like Dr. Death and Tina Fey's Girls5Eva.
  • HBO Max ($14.99/month): Goodbye HBO Go. Hello HBO Max, the new home to HBO originals like Westworld and Succession as well as non-HBO content like Rick and Morty, Friends and more. Highly anticipated HBO originals like the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon will also premiere on this streaming service.
  • Shudder ($4.95/month): Horror film streaming service, Shudder, will provide thrill seekers who have already consumed all of Netflix’s scary movie selection with new creepy cinema to consume. Shudder’s massive library includes classics like Hellraiser as well as a big chunk of films that weren’t even in theaters.

For the Happy Hour Lover 

 

For the person in your life who loves a cocktail and a night out with friends:

  • Drizly Gift Card: Drizley works with local stories to provide the largest online selection of beer, wine and spirits. With their app, you can get beer, wine, or liquor delivered to your door within 60 minutes. You can even source the specific small batch IPA you’ve been missing in lockdown…
  • An Appointment with a Boozy Ninja: For all you San Francisco dwellers out there, you’re in luck, because you can now book a “Boozy Ninja” to mix and deliver fresh craft cocktails right to you or a loved one’s door. Prices for this service range from $175 to $250 and includes a bottle of your chosen elixir along with a craft cocktail made for two.

For the Fitness Junkie

For the person who has turned their living room into a fitness studio during lockdown:

  • ClassPass Subscription: For the fitness lovers in your life who are missing the gym and studio classes, give them the gift of a virtual gym subscription! Their $9/month  ClassPass subscription provides over 2,000 live and on-demand workout classes from instructors across the country. Options ranging from yoga to HIIT and everything in between.
  • Peloton Membership: In the last year, Peloton has morphed into a digital platform for streaming fitness classes of all types, not just cycling. You can give the gift of a Peloton Digital Membership. This gives you access to studio and outdoor running classes on the Peloton App for $12.99/month. Or, you can give a membership to an all-access Peloton pass. This includes access to workout classes using Peloton equipment for $39/month. You can get the Peloton Bike for a reduced rate of $1,895 (marked down from $2,245). You also have the option to enroll in their payment plan at $49/month at 0% APR.

For the Eternal Student

For the person who is always taking a class or learning something new:

  • A Masterclass Membership: A Masterclass membership is perfect for the loved one who’s always trying to master a particular skill. MasterClass doesn't just offer online courses — they're online experiences curated by the true champions of the field. Annie Leibovitz teaches photography, Jane Goodall teaches conservation, Gordon Ramsey teaches cooking. Masterclass is currently offering a 2 for one membership holiday promotion for the price of 1 at $180.
  • An Amazon Audible Subscription: Give the gift of an endless digital library with an Amazon Audible Subscription. Amazon offers 1 to 12 month long subscription gifts: $15 for one month, $45 for three months, and so on. This gives your gift recipient access to three audiobooks per month, plus 30% off all other selections. Titles are read by the likes of beloved public figures such as Michelle Obama and Jonathan Van Ness.

For the Traveler

For the person who has spent the year craving an international adventure:

  • A Rosetta Stone Subscription: For a limited time, you can give the gift of lifetime access to all of Rosetta Stone’s language courses for a one-time payment of $179 (regular price: $199)!
  • A Duolingo Plus Subscription: Give the gift of learning a new language in a fun and simple way with a Plus subscription to the Duolingo app! Duolingo Plus offers unlimited online and offline access to Duolingo’s language lessons ad-free. You can give a Plus subscription via a gift card on the App Store or Google Play Store.

For the Holistic Health Lover 

For the person who is committed to their health and wellness (though, honestly, after this year everyone should be at this point):

  • A Headspace Subscription: Headspace offers hundreds of guided meditations helping with everything from stress to productivity and exercise. Gift a monthly subscription for $12.99 per month or a year for $69.99.
    • A Sill Subscription: Plants have been shown to reduce loneliness and anxiety. For the ones in your life who aspire to green thumb status, start them off with a Potted Plants for Beginners subscription. This will ease them into the ropes of plant parenthood by sending one easy-care potted plant for $35 per month.
  • Alo Moves Gift Card: Yoga retailer, Alo, has launched a new digital class platform offering yoga and meditation classes for all levels. You can give 6-month access for $60 or a full year subscription for $99.50.

For the Music Lover

For the person who uses Spotify and Apple Music but still has no new music to listen to:

  • A Tidal Subscription: With its hi-fi streaming capabilities, Tidal has become the music streaming service for true audiophiles. With Tidal you also get exclusive access to albums from Beyoncé and Jay-Z and Prince’s posthumous album. Subscription starts at $9.99/month or $19.99/month for Premium.

For the Gamer

For the person in your life who lives and dreams in an interactive final fantasy:

  • A PlayStation Plus Collection Subscription: On November 12, PlayStation released its hotly anticipated PS5 and upgraded its PS Plus subscription service to include the PS Plus Collection. This collection gives members immediate access to much beloved PS4 games on Playstation’s next-generation console as soon as it hits shelves. The price of the collection will be $9.99 per month, $24.99 for three months, or $59.99 for a year and would be a great gift for your Playstation-obsessed friend who already has their PS5 pre-order locked.

We hope you enjoyed our 2020 digital gift guide! From the entire YouAppi team, we wish you and yours a safe, merry holiday and a happy new year. We look forward to 2021 and the continued use of technology and innovation to improve the health, safety and happiness of our planet and every individual.