To find the shops utterly depressing at this time of year?

[BasinHaircut]

Is it just me?

I can’t really articulate why I find it all a bit depressing but the Xmas music, piles of overpriced shit and number of people are the obvious things that grate.

I love it.

YANBU, so many shops are piled high with ‘novelty’ gifts (looking at you, Urban Outfitters) that at best will end up in charity shops, and more likely straight into landfill. We don’t all have to like the same things, it’d be boring if we did, but I really wish people would buy a bit less tat.

I’m with you. It’s awfjl.

YANBU. You can already visualise the stuff in the bargain bins at half price on Boxing Day.
I agree about Urban Outfitters. Novelty tat that might raise a smile but ultimately be shoved in a charity bag.

Yes the tat is depressing. In a few weeks tons of unwanted presents and a shitload of wrap, cards, decorations, packaging and unwanted food will be in landfill.
I was looking at massive gift bags in a shop yesterday, you could actually get a small child in them and there were boxes and boxes of them - they will be used for ONE day in most cases.

Retailers need to start addressing this and start stocking stuff that is practical and can be reused. I'm sure most people are similarly fed up and want to see the back of this pointless waste.

Yanbu! I’ve been into our local city centre 3 days in a row. I’m done! Or more to the point done in

I’ve supported the high street but I’ll finish my Christmas shopping online (or get my teens to choose their remaining gifts themselves) which I will wrap.

YANBU. There's so much pressure from shops to buy the 'perfect ' Christmas, it can be a bit depressing. It's all about profit & certainly not any true meaning of Christmas. I'm so fed up with supermarkets telling everyone to buy ridiculous amounts of rich food & alcohol, only to tell us to buy so called 'detox' foods in the new year. I've seen it for too many years now & just buy what I want.

I’m pretty sure I saw a musical shortbread tin in M&S earlier. What the fuck?!

It’s everyone walking about feeling obligated to buy stuff. It’s almost tangible, you can feel it. There is no joy.

I hate contrived or formulaic ‘fun’ it just feels me with dread and Xmas shopping absolutely embodies it.

Hate it

So don't go to the shops. Sorted.

I cannot bear fucking gift bags!!! Hate them and so bad for the environment. My MIL is literally obsessed by them. Everyone in his family is. Literally every single present will be in a gift bag.

So so wasteful

I don't think of gift bags as wasteful - surely they're much better as you reuse them over and over passing them around to other people? Or just my family?

I agree about the general tat, OP, and have felt sick about it for years. So much fiddly packaging and waste, as well as complete rubbish available to buy. It's so sad.

I re use gift bags. I thought everyone did

I sellotape the bottom if they get a bit too well used. I know I’ve had recycled bags given to me.

YANBU I avoid the shops at this time of year

So don't go to the shops. Sorted.

If only it were that simple. You have to go into the shops for your non Christmas purchase but all the Christmas tat is right by the door.

I love them, especially the window display, but then again I don’t go into shops with Christmas music or piles of anything.

I went out for milk today I barely made it out alive

@Sparklingbrook you can buy everything online these days.

@Sparklingbrook I've only been in one shop in the last month and that's because it had something I wanted. Everything else I get online, it's all bought and wrapped. Food shopping ordered online. I have successfully managed to avoid all the Christmas stuff.

@BasinHaircut someone gave us one of those tins. We still use it as a decoration (much prettier than the ones they have this year though).

I don't go to shops this time of year. That way I don't spend money I don't need to and feel generally less hostile towards my fellow humans. I only get two days off a week and there are so many ways I'd rather spend them at this time of year than trawling around Debenhams. I enjoy our local Saturday market and independent bookshop and might head to a local Christmas market. The only time I'll see the big shops is from the top deck on our annual number 139 bus Christmas lights pilgrimage incorporating the Troy exhibition at the BM ( cheaper, funner than shopping). Other than that, I'd rather be trudging through the fields or reading in front of the fire.

As soon as December hits in this town there is a wait for parking and the ques are past a ridiculous length...i shopped online but had to run to a shop a few days ago....and it was hell!

basin I almost bought the musical shortbread tin. My thought was that you could put an LED tealight in and use it as a decoration after you scoffed the biscuits

I can’t get everything I need online I don’t think that’s unusual.

One of the many reasons why we turn to internet shopping, sadly.

I bought Tesco hessian reusable shopping bags as gift bags this year. Elegant they are not but actually useful and 50p dearer than a one use wonder gift bag.