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.

[Ginfordinner]

DD used to work for Menkind. Last year the most popular item was drones. She spent many happy hours demoing them.

[LolaSmiles]

A well designed Christmas shop is lovely gin. Our local next has a good amount of decoration without being in your face,they have Christmas stuff in logical places, not too much tat and, most importantly to me, space to move around the shop!

I can't get over how pushchair and wheelchair unfriendly some of these shops are at Christmas where they shove racks and offer baskets etc everywhere. It looks a mess, stops a logical flow of people and must make shopping with a pram or wheelchair a nightmare.

[RhymingRabbit3]

I just want to know how many people actually buy a 5 foot tall nutcracker soldier or a life sized light up chicken. Are these actually for sale or just there to make things look "Christmassy"?

We buy very few Christmas presents now apart from the kids so are able to avoid gift sets and other tat. However I know plenty of people who are obliged to buy a £15 present for hundreds of aunts, uncles, cousins, in laws. I think this sort of attitude needs to stop - Auntie Pearl doesnt need another hat and scarf set.

[PineappleDanish]

I hate it too. And it's been around since SEPTEMBER. I never, ever buy christmassy themed tat, toiletry gift sets, never go in a poundshop. Those "jokey" presents are such an enormous waste of money and yes, most will be binned or sent straight to the charity shop.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we had about 60 boxes of Christmas stock come back from storage at the start of November. Stuff which is donated through the year. Decorations like baubles and tinsel sell well. But we have boxes and boxes of flashing snowmen, cheap plastic santa figures and lots of things like christmas boxer shorts and ties which are still in their wrappers. Clearly unwanted.

Problem is there are lots of people out there buying this absolute shit so companies keep making it.

[Sparklingbrook]

I do wonder where all those Menkind drones will end up. Those that make it out of the box that is.

[MitMopse]

Completely agree with comments about tat and landfill. It is so depressing and unnecessary. Makes me think of Buy n Large from Wall-E!

[PineappleDanish]

f someone needs slippers, surely you'd get them a nice pair of slippers, not a gift set of decidedly average to substandard slippers that costs the same amount because they've also thrown in a pair of festive socks and a headband?

I totally agree. DH has been dropping heavy hints that his washbag which he takes when travelling on business is getting knackered. So for Christmas i've bought him a fancy expensive one made from recycled fire hose. It's listed on those "buy it once" websites and should last forever. I could have easily spent the same amount and got a less expensive bag from M&S or somewhere else, and then spent the rest on tat.

But really, what's the point?

[dimsum123]

I wish retail was in dire straits but it's not.

We're all buying more crap than ever, urged on by big business who need us to keep spending and spending and spending so they can continuously grow year on year and return increased profits to their shareholders.

I wish people would only buy what they absolutely need and find enjoyment in other things instead of the very short term high from making a purchase.

[SmileyClare]

I think it's good to support your local high street. Why do all shops think we want to hear Mariah Carey All I want for Christmas is Youuuu at full volume though?

[PineappleDanish]

I prefer the little local independent shops. Far less likely to have warbling Mariah or shouty Slade. HATE Christmas music. Those poor store staff having to bear it from now until Christmas Eve.

[Kazzyhoward]

I find shops utterly depressing at all times of the year which is why I do probably 95% of my shopping online.

The High St just sell what they want to sell, not what the customer wants to buy, they usually have very limited stock and the disinterested staff (if you can prise them away from their private conversations and iPhone) just tell you to order on line anway.

The stores are busier at this time of year which makes shopping an even worse experience.

Literally, nearly every time I go shopping, I come away with very few purchases, more depressed, and rushing to get home so that I can do some proper shopping for what I want in the comfort of my home.

[Ginfordinner]

and the disinterested staff (if you can prise them away from their private conversations and iPhone)

That is very rarely my experience of shopping TBH

[backouch]

Massive gift bags are excellent- we use them to take our children's gifts over to my in-laws Christmas morning if we're over there. Have used the same two bags for years now.

[squashyhat]

Slight tangent but a shocking item on the BBC News website today about the amount of sugar in so called 'seasonal' drinks. No wonder people are hyper this time of year
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-50628962

[Lulu1919]

We reuse gift bags.....don't use for a single gift but if someone has a few small things they make life easier !!!

[JasperRising]

I used to buy stocking filler tat and novelty gifts but then realised it just either clutters the house or goes in the bin. Lots of it has no real purpose. That said you do find the odd good game. These days I go with fewer, larger stocking gifts - books and chocolates mainly.

I've also gone the opposite way from online shopping and started trying to do more in person (though it is harder work!) Because that way I can go to the independent chocolate shop and bookshops. I do still do about half the Xmas shopping online though!

I remember Xmas shopping as a child being a fun adventure - a day out in town, Xmas lights, dinner after with my parents. But I think part of the magic was that Xmas products hadn't been on sale since the summer and the lights went on in December. These days I'm just bored of Xmas already...

[TryingAndFailing39]

I absolutely love it! But I do all my shopping very early as it all gets a bit chaotic just before Christmas!

[squashyhat]

But it's not 'just before Christmas'. It's only 3rd December FFS!

[Sparklingbrook]

I am bracing myself for my trip to town. Sounds like I am going to need that sugar in my seasonal drink.

[overnightangel]

YANBU. This time of year is a moron’s paradise

[PineappleDanish]

I tweeted M&S to complain as I was in one of their stores looking for a completely unrelated to Christmas item on 2nd November and they were full on blasting Elton and his stepping into Christmas song. Totally puts me off shopping, I need to go to Asda later for some groceries and will be subjected to more of the same shitey music. It's easy to walk past the tat aisle stacked high with cheap nasty chocolate and cheap nasty toiletry sets. Less easy to ignore the music.

[andpancakesforbreakfast]

I'd rather be a moron than a bitter joyless individual 🤷

[ginghamstarfish]

Yes, it's awful seeing the piles of Christmas tat, and you know most of it will be chucked a few weeks later. Also hate that stuff you actually want or need to buy has been removed from the shelves to make way for the crap. Re gift bags, we reuse until they fall apart, had some going round the family for years now!

[GunpowderGelatine]

We buy very few Christmas presents now apart from the kids so are able to avoid gift sets and other tat. However I know plenty of people who are obliged to buy a £15 present for hundreds of aunts, uncles, cousins, in laws. I think this sort of attitude needs to stop - Auntie Pearl doesnt need another hat and scarf set

Same here. I buy kids, nieces/nephews and siblings. My family are quite ridiculous though and there's been uproar about not buying Auntie Muriel a soap set from the children that she sees once a year I don't care, they can be upset, attitudes desperately need to change and it doesn't start with "I don't want to offend people so I'll go along with wasteful habits".

I now try and give cash where I can. My teenage niece doesn't need another make-up set, she's big enough to spend her own money, and my DD's main gift this year is a voucher to spend on her Roblox game. I officially started a tat purge last year and have never looked back

[GunpowderGelatine]

And I'll happily start a petition to ban those rancid perfume gift sets. I always had to be explicit with my OHs - I want Daisy Marc Jacobs, I don't want a gift set for the same price, but with a smaller bottle and some gross "body soufflé" that DOESN'T smell like the perfume!!! It's a false economy and makes me seeth when I see them