Told we need to shop early for Christmas due to covid?

[Lovemusic33]

So today the media is telling us “shop early for Christmas” due to the whole country/world likely to be doing their shopping online this year.

I’m not sure I can even think about Christmas right now and how do we know what our kids and family might want in 3 months time?

Is anyone actually going to listen to the advice and do all their shopping now?

I'm almost done, have been buying since July.
I don't thin going to the shops will be an enjoyable experience this year and won't make me feel any more festive so started early, plus got loads of bargains so happy I started early. First year I've done so due to covid and think I will every year now tbh.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/4030370-Thread-7-the-one-with-matching-bowels-and-plates

Onto thread 7 here, the buying has been going on for months

It makes sense - shopping is an awful experience anyway but even more so now.

@Jedstre

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/4030370-Thread-7-the-one-with-matching-bowels-and-plates

Onto thread 7 here, the buying has been going on for months

I used to follow these threads but they are not much use to me now my dc are older, they won’t know what they want until at least November, are likely to want switch games that are not released yet, my youngest changes her mind many times before Christmas. I don’t have much family to buy for and will probably just give amazon vouchers or cash. Buying for teenagers is much trickier as they don’t know what they want or may want clothes/shoes and their size could change by Christmas.

And what about those who haven’t got the money to shop early? Some people don’t shop until the last pay day before Christmas.

Surely if you havent much money it makes sense to pick up a few bits early when you see them cheaper? I have quite a big family and a few friends I buy for so the bargain threads have been invaluable to me.

Those threads aren't for just kids stuff! You've missed some bargains

In fact it's only my 6 year old who actually needs anything now!

Yes, I've started as thought it'll be worse nearer Christmas

I don’t know, I just know a lot of people shop last minute, I’m not one of them, I shop late November which I don’t see as being last minute.

I don’t buy lots of gifts for the dc anymore, maybe 5 reasonable gifts which will include shoes and clothes. Dd2 has ASD and changes her interests quite often, at the moment she loves gem stones and crystals, ideally I want to get her a rock tumbler but if I buy it now she might be into something different by December. I stay off the bargain threads as I don’t really want to buy things we don’t really need (we are short on space). The main issue is just not knowing what they want yet.

"And what about those who haven’t got the money to shop early? Some people don’t shop until the last pay day before Christmas."

Anyone I know who is short of money generally starts shopping earlier and buying little bits each month instead of trying to afford it all in one big shop.

I buy Christmas and birthday presents all year round; buy what X will love when you see it is my motto. I've always done that. I absolutely loathe the Xmas rush/crowds/commercial crap jingles in shops ; my aim is to be finished by the end of November and not go in shops during December. Spend December peacefully at home eating mincepies while writing cards I bought last January, reduced.

As for "how will kids know what they want in 3 months"; don't ask them for a list. I want presents to be a total surprise, original, something the recipient never thought of... in my childhood all the best presents I ever had were like that.

Locked in won't make any significant difference to my Xmas present shopping . Until covid I was a virgin to online supermarket food shopping but I'm a convert for ever now, not planning to fight another wonky wheel trolley/stand in a queue behind idiots shouting down their phone ever again. .

Who is telling people they need to shop early for Christmas? It's such nonsense.

I wonder if we'll have even more of the "oh dear, DS has asked for x Lego set for Christmas this year but it's £50 and I already spent £500 on him in the shopping I did in July" threads than usual.

@Chicchicchicchiclana

Who is telling people they need to shop early for Christmas? It's such nonsense.

I wonder if we'll have even more of the "oh dear, DS has asked for x Lego set for Christmas this year but it's £50 and I already spent £500 on him in the shopping I did in July" threads than usual.

I think the advice is coming from couriers such as Yodel who are going to be very busy during December.

Sadly my kids don’t like surprises, probably because they have ASD, I usually take the youngest to smyths toy store and she chooses 3 or 4 things (usually lego) as she freaks out if she doesn’t know what she’s getting.

I've been wondering wether it's a good idea to do this. Bought a couple of things already. Just looking at Argos toy sale and the few bits I'd like are out of stock for home delivery. Otherwise it's a 18 mile trip to the local shopping town on the bus hmmm...not sure I want to go in the next week 🤔

If it's toys then Sainsbury used to have a Half Price Sale in the October Half Term. Does that still go ahead?

And there's Black Friday though I'm not sure just how much of a bargain these "Bargains" are .

Probably good to get the smaller things early on- the things you need but really CBA queuing for ( Sellotape/wrapping papercards type )

It does make sense to shop early this year, most of it's going to be online so delivery services are going to be stretched. Alternatively everyone will go to the shops which will have to limit numbers and people will be waiting outside.

When the shops were panicking about losing so much business earlier in the year, they were sending out emails left right and centre with offers and discounts. I started shopping in June because of this!

I’m trying to get mine done and put the way. My office is close to a big shopping centre so I would normally get presents on my lunch breaks or on the way home but since I’m working from home I won’t be doing that this year. I’m also thinking of our poor postie - last Christmas I invited him in for a cup of tea and to warm up a bit because he was having a breakdown about how there was so much to deliver and they were understaffed. I can’t see the situation being better this year unfortunately for him 😞

See, I think it's just a way for the media to fill space on something that is not Covid or Brexit specifically, exactly 3 months before Christmas, to get the season started. And retail and logistics companies are very happy to get on board and have people spending money, especially spreading it out a bit as their systems have been hammered and will be even worse with Christmas.

But the sensible people have been planning, organising, crafting and buying for months already!! so if anything, yez are all late to the party!!

Happy Rudolph Day!!

Im close to being finshed too. I have 6 dc to buy for (teens/tweens and young adults now) so it is expensive. For this reason I always shop throughout the year. No way I could affort it form one or two months salary, and I I find buying as I go along/see bargains the best way to reduce stress and spread the cost. I am making even more of an effort this year, and aim to be finshed by mid October.

I have almost finished Christmas shopping and did do it early with Covid in mind, especially all of the bits I wanted to get in store. I don’t want to shop on the high street when it’s cold and wet and Covid is increasing. It’s easy to buy for most family members early, and my children always want things like Lego, books, board games etc which can be bought early. I just leave my children’s main/Santa present to later on nearer Christmas so they can make up their mind on what they want.

We started this week. Would usually start in October anyway so not too much earlier!

I feel nervous buying stuff too early in case the present needs to be returned and it's before the extended Christmas returns window opens.

Not for everything I should add, clearly some presents are easy to buy with confidence they won't need to be returned.

Shopping is an unpleasant experience at present and very time consuming with the necessity of queuing, so most of the people who would normally shop on the high street will be ordering online. Delivery services will be swamped. If you leave it too late you risk not getting stuff delivered in time. I’ve ordered presents for DC, I don’t care if the adults don’t get anything but the kids need toys. My main worry is about being able to get Christmas food delivered.