Christmas is an amazing time of year - the twinkling lights, festive cheer and general feeling of happiness in the air make it a time we all look forward to. Until
the special day of the 25th is actually upon us though, it can be thoroughly stressful!
One
of the reasons for such stress is the mad rush to get presents bought and wrapped in
time - I am still not finished and it's giving me a headache... Every year I say I won't do it again, but I always leave gift buying (apart from the kids presents) to the last minute and am left in a flustered, panic-buying mess!
These days the internet is a big help when it comes to gift buying, but it can
be a minefield too as there are no guarantees you'll actually receive your gift in time for the big day - unless you've ordered well in advance of course (which I never do...)
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t beat the rush even if it seems all hope is lost. Here are the tricks of the trade to keep in mind.
Hire A Separate Courier
Most shoppers think they have to pay for delivery but that isn’t the case.
As it happens, you can arrange for a separate company like Shiply to
pick up and deliver your package, and it’s a really useful option at this time
of year when retailers are at breaking point.
What’s the difference? Why
can couriers handle the demand when some well known stores can’t?
Well, there are plenty of reasons, but the main one is that they are
professionals. Retailers only have a limited knowledge of the industry and that is why they don’t deliver on their promises at Christmas - no pun intended!
Use Next Day Delivery
It sounds like the most obvious tip in the world, but it’s amazing how
many people opt for standard delivery instead of getting their purchase to them quicker. Let’s face it, everyone wants to
save the pennies where possible, plus, a week before Christmas Day seems
like plenty of time to receive a parcel.
However, standard delivery
shoppers get pushed to the back of the queue and that puts the delivery
timetable in jeopardy. At least with next day delivery, it is certain
that shops will try to get your package out as soon as possible and thankfully, in most cases, it's usually only a small bit extra than standard.
Deliver To Store
Just because the retailer won’t deliver to
your home doesn’t mean that is the end of the line. Usually, they will be happy to move it from one store to another so that it is easier for you to collect. After all, they want the sale and it hardly costs much
considering they have the infrastructure in place already.
If the option
isn’t available online don’t be afraid to give them a call and speak
to the store directly. The cost may be a bit more, but it’s worth it for
the perfect gift.
Hit The High Street
The final and the
often overlooked option is to head to the store and buy it over the
counter. In this digital age, people tend to go online first rather than
jump in the car and drive to the shops. However, that is dangerous at
this time of year because anything can go wrong with the delivery.
Sure,
shopping in the likes of Primark at Christmas time is like going into a war zone (I should know, I'm in there enough!) and no one likes trying to shop in throngs of people, but it'll (hopefully!) just be a one-off visit for you before Christmas, so it should be bearable enough.. At least then you’ll have the present in your hand and
nothing can go wrong.
Hopefully these tips will come in handy if you still have some last-minute Christmas shopping to do.
