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?

Im thinkingnif adding xmas fiod to my order soon. The crackers and pudding etc so its here if all.else fails!

I’m 2/3rds done and wrapped but I’m expecting baby number 2 in Nov and can’t be traipsing round the shops (if we’re allowed) with a toddler and a newborn in a mask.
Nothing to do with the virus though.

I buy stuff through the year

You are all giving me palpitations by being nearly done!! I have loads of october birthdays to get through first then will think about xmas.

Worse case scenario it will be a lesson in not going bonkers with the gifting.

whose telling you to shop early?

@Ranunculi

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.

I've got a lot of the non perishable food already. crips, crakers, nuts, chocoltes, minemeat, baking stuff, shloer. got emergencey forzn parsnips/veg/roasties, pigs in blankets in the freezer, and emergency tins of custard, cranberry sauce and stuffing mix!

@BiddyPop

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!!

All this!

I've been planning for months. I've got the bulk of the stuff for DS. Adults are getting token stuff. I've got some bits to get and will do that with October's pay. That leaves November and December to save.

Our "play" money usually comes from DH working shifts as a bouncer, obviously that's not happening so I started buying in June a bit at a time.

Im actually very excited for Christmas this year and happier that im even more organised than normal. I found online shopping during the height of the pandemic a complete pain in the bum. Things out of stock, price hikes, delivery issues and non existent customer and the only way to deal with issues unfortunately was via social media along with a shocking amount of others all in same boat. Plus shopping instore is crap now (ive just come back from Asda and recovering) i really dont fancy doing that as demand ramps up, more restrictions and cases shoot up. Ive saved a lot more spreading the cost and getting good deals. Just a few bits to get and im holding out till Black friday for any ipad deals. Im expecting November & December to be very busy at work and possibly short staffed if colleagues get ill so i really dont want to be shopping on top of that.

I buy throughout the year. I have about 20 people to buy for, in addition to OH/our children. I'm always on the look out for presents when I'm in town and If I see something that I think someone will appreciate, I grab it. I also take advantage of deals and discounts, so I save money.

I dont have many to buy for but start usually in September with the calendar gifts and good bargains of things I know ppl will love. I wait with my kids main presents for later on.

Mine is nearly all done, not buying much this year. Kids have been warned mostly buying them chocolate and sweets for their stockings, a lego set each (well lego-ish tbh), some pjs and some books. Thats pretty much what I can afford.

I've done most of my shopping for the dc - even if we have a complete lockdown they will get their Xmas surprises as normal.

I figure adults will understand.

The skeptic in me says the drive for "shop early" could be to boost struggling retailers, get a revenue boost, before a further raft of redundancies due to the awful furlough replacement scheme just revealed hits consumer confidence...

Jedstre I'm still laughing at your link to a thread about matching BOWELS and plates

I've been shopping extra early this year but loving it. Buying a few special things to delight my family has been the most cheerful thing I've done in all of 2020.

I'm definitely buying a big roll tree bauble for posterity

*bog

@slipperywhensparticus BBC: Shoppers warned to buy early for Christmas or miss out

I have got a good 75% of my presents. I will get one or two main presents in December once I know for sure what the youngest want.

I'm not doing my usual shopping trips this year. We normally go and stay in hotel but it was pretty obvious back in April that was going to be a very unpleasant experience in winter.

I might do a one day drive to a larger city. But it's not going to be fun. If it is mostly online, why not now and get things in the various non stop sales so you can shop around at your leisure?

I assumed this advice was purely to encourage people to spend now rather than in a month or two. After all, all shopping except food shopping moved online for the whole of lockdown and we had all our purchases delivered fine?

all mine was finished a few weeks ago. I had an inkling it was going to happen. I was traumatised by my youngest birthday very early in lock down.

Mine is pretty much done. I’ve also ordered some food just in case as well. I’m not sure there will be big problems ordered or delivering but I like being organised.

I went to Smyth today with my youngest, for somthing to do more than anything else and the queue was HUGE! At least 15 people most with bursting trolleys. I buy toys and things throughout the year and store them at my Mums but with a Covid I’ve not got much this year. I’m a bit worried about money so think I’m going to buy a few Christmas bits every month until December.

You don't need to start shopping earlier but some people are choosing too. I'm probably going to try to get all mine done by early november instead of late november just because going around the shops isn't always pleasant at the minute and I want to try to have everything done before they get really busy with xmas shoppers.

I'm done, wrapped and half delivered. Mainly because I'm going from part time to full time teaching after half term.