I had to complete my Christmas shopping today with the help of my grand-daughter knowing full well that this is the busiest Saturday of the year. Well, we were organised because we had a list when we went to Sainsbury's at 7:30am and it took us just the same time as usual because we didn't deviate from it.
When we got home and had breakfast, we decided exactly what I was going to buy for the last remaining couple of presents and also what she wanted to get for her brother and sister. It seems that we were probably the only people in the centre who knew exactly what we were shopping for.
In a lot of shops you can get three for the price of two or buy three and the cheapest is free and Boots is no exception but I was absolutely amazed when one of the staff came out of the lift with a cage loaded with these large pretty pink and black striped boxes that resembled hat boxes. Someone asked him how much they were and he said £20. Within 30 seconds they had all been grabbed literally out of his hands and I don't think anyone knew what was really in them. They looked big, bold, pretty and expensive so when I stood behind somebody that had grabbed one, I craned my neck to try to see what they were. It turned out that these were just boxes with a selection of toiletries with a name I had never heard of, certainly not a well known perfume house, they had also been reduced from £50 to £20. I certainly wouldn't have paid £20 let alone £50!
Usually at Christmas I know that they put very small bottles of bubble bath in very big boxes or they give you a bath mitten or something with it and then charge the earth but I thought this was a step too far. What amazed me more though is why on earth did all these people not ask their friends and family what they actually wanted. This shows how little thought some people put into the giving of gifts. Buy something big and bold, put it in pretty wrapping paper with a spectacular bow and make a huge fuss when you give it saying something like "Oh, it's nothing really". They then spend the rest of next year paying off their credit card while the recipient gives the 'present' to the local scouts jumble sale because they have an allergy most toiletries!
Well, at least I know that the presents I've bought are what the recipients want and they won't be wasted.
I agree, the last time I was brave enough to venture into town, I was amazed by the sheer amount of useless gifts, all contained in huge amounts of packaging. And people were buying them. Apparently you can give a goat for christmas.......... or the boys would rather have a ewe though!!!!!!
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