Everything must be ordered online and delivered but ideally ordered this week

[Graphista]

Hard to explain why completely but that's the situation.

It's partly as I'm housebound myself due to agoraphobia, so it's easier to order online and have the items delivered to the recipients, gift wrapped and/or marked "do not open until Christmas" marked on them

Which online retailers can I order from NOW but they will deliver to recipients just in time for Xmas?

This is for cards and gifts.

I normally use moonpig for cards but they let me down last year which caused some friction with the recipient. I think they thought I forgot and tried to cover which isn't what happened. Do not want that happening this year!

Prefer to use well known reliable brands not so keen on using ones I'm unfamiliar with (I swear I'm turning into my mother! Because I'm aware this may well mean I'm paying more than I strictly need to but I want the peace of mind both in terms of item quality and delivery requirements - so it's worth it for that for me)

People I'm buying for are awkward as!

Not deliberately but because medical and personal circumstances are such that there's very little that's suitable.

The usual alcohol, sweets and other food, books, games, perfume, jewellery, toiletries... are out

So I'm struggling to think of ideas and I'm now reaching a point I'm basically buying them the same boring things (pj's, dressing gowns etc) every gift event as I cannot think of anything else! And believe me I've tried and they even acknowledge themselves that it's difficult and SAY "oh don't bother" but I do know they would actually mind if they received nothing at all and be very hurt.

So basically

HELP!

Need to get organised!

Plantsforgifts have a good selection of indoor and outdoors small trees and plants depending on your budget. They have good delivery options. Amazon also sometimes you gift wrapping if you choose the option and you can choose another address for delivery if required. Molton Brown may also do gift wrapping so do check their site

Papier do great cards

I quite like using biscuiteers as you can select the delivery date in advance, so I've ordered my Gran's birthday present for December now.

What about flowers from a local florist?

If you are OK with ecards, you could use Jacquie Lawson cards where you specify the dates you want the card sent.

Lakeland have lovely tote bags full of goodies. They will giftwrap, for a price, and hold for a few weeks before delivery.

Are they male / female? Age brackets?

Did you know that Royal Mail now offer a parcel collection from home service for a small fee plus usual postage costs? You could have items delivered to you at leisure, wrap them up and write the cards, then package them back up and get them collected by your local Royal Mail postperson on a day convenient for you. You need a printer to print out the delivery labels, but it saves you having to go to the post office. Apologies if this is not suitable for you, just thought I'd highlight it in case it helps you or someone else reading this thread.
Information here or just search for Royal Mail parcel collect.

M and S do some great food/drink delivery items and cater for vegans, gluten-free etc. We’ve ordered two this year and were impressed with the quality and selection.

I’m not sure what your budget is, but if money isn’t a problem you could try using a gift concierge service. You basically give them a brief of who to buy for, budget, and some ideas as to what the recipients might like, and they take care of the rest including buying it, wrapping it, and delivering it.

It can be expensive though - anything from £10-£50 per recipient, on top of the cost of the gift.

Thanks for all the responses

Plants - I wouldn’t know where to start! And the people concerned are either very knowledgable and already have plants and gardens they have sorted their own way

Papier - I will check out thank you. Have you used them a lot and reliable delivery?

Biscuiteers - not suitable I’m afraid due to medical issues

Flowers - again not ideal for a few reasons inc allergies

Jacquie Lawson - would prefer to use a Uk firm as needs to be physical cards and I’d be worried about cards from overseas reaching people in time

Lakeland tote bags - again they’re food based which isn’t suitable

Ages etc:

3 over 70, 2 female 1 male

1 young adult female

Royal Mail - thoughtful and perhaps useful for others not something I could use unfortunately

Feel like op wasn’t clear

The following are NOT suitable options (I maybe worded it badly? “Are out” meaning not suitable)

alcohol, sweets and other food, books, games, perfume, jewellery, toiletries

Gift concierge service - ooh now that sounds interesting! Can you recommend any I could check out? I don’t mind paying a little extra for help here.

The MAIN thing I need help with really is knowing which companies I can order from now that will deliver and hopefully gift wrapped nearer to the time.

Sorry didn't finish the plants thought!

OR plants aren't suitable due to allergies.

How about scarves from Lisa Angel?

Magazine subscriptions? I know you said no books but no magazines either?

Also the thread about small businesses that's on here somewhere might give you inspiration. I'm sure a lot of smaller companies will be happy to deliver according to your timeframes.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/4034228-Independent-online-shops

Cashmere scarves for male&female, similarly sheepskin slippers. Leather gloves, purse, handbag. Magazine or audible subscriptions.
So from Debenhams, John Lewis, White company, M&S etc. Magazine subscriptions from Hearst.

No they've never been magazine people at all

Scarves are one of the things I seem to get EVERY time and only apply to one of them as they other 2 are housebound so don't wear outdoor clothes excepting when they need to go into hospital

Same applies to slippers, but they're tricky again due to medical issues as can only wear certain styles the 2 housebound need to wear those Velcro ones as they don't/can't put them on and off themselves they have carers

Gloves, purse, handbag - again only apt for one and again regularly bought before she has loads! I've bought her beautiful good quality ones which she does love and use but she has so many now! Because I am not the only person buying for them and others obviously have the same difficulties in buying for them, so other people get them the same things.

How about jumpers? Scarves? Try contacting an independent boutique, they are all so in need of custom and I'm sure they could gift wrap and send at an appropriate date for you. Smaller orgs are generally more flexible I find

This is the service that a friend at work uses. I haven’t used them myself though (I’m too much of a bargain hunter).

London Gift Concierge

I'd love to use smaller businesses but without knowing them and knowing they'll be reliable it's not something I feel comfortable doing. I need the reassurance of a well known brand.

Locally there's sod all! Deprived area and many more businesses have gone under this year. I've done what I can as a customer myself inc recommending on social media, eg there's a fantastic local florist I use when appropriate and like receiving from myself - but these particular people flowers won't work for them.

A few of the businesses that have gone under were ones I used for them for gifts in the past and they haven't been "replaced" as it were,

So I'm left I really need to look at well known, reliable well established retailers

@BullshitVivienne I did look at that thread for ideas even if I wouldn't have necessarily used those retailers and it's really mainly the gifts that don't work for me - food, toiletries, perfume, jewellery etc

Weighted blanket or electric blanket? Ancestry DNA test?
Do any of them have a particular hobby or interest?

What about something to do with any specific needs they have for example when my grans eyesight started to get really bad she couldn't see to do her usual crossword puzzles so I got her the extra large print crossword books.

Would there maybe be something you could get that would be useful to them in terms of something that would help them.

Music/audio book CDs, pretty lamp, jigsaw?

What about somewhere like John Lewis. They sell all manner of things and are obviously well known - especially at Christmas. It would mean you could order it all from the same place instead of worrying about the reliability of 3 or 4 different companies.

Somewhere like Next or Debenhams would work for this too.

Would it be easier just to send vouchers? Easy to post and then they can pick what they like/need?

Have you tried funkypigeon.com. similar to moonpig you can order to be delivered direct to the recipient on a date you choose and they do gifts as well (including many personalised ones if that would be appropriate). I always order cards from here and I've ordered socks, mugs and calendars in the past. I've always found them to be reliable.