II RECEIVED a press release from American Express on September 26 claiming 16.5 million Britons had already started their Christmas shopping, buying everything from presents to decorations, wrapping paper and even food. Indeed, many shops had by then also started to display and promote Christmas goods.
However, 23 per cent of respondents in the Amex survey said they needed to ‘feel festive’ before starting Christmas shopping, not something most of us feel in early autumn, while a laid-back 14 per cent said they would wait until the last minute.
Whether you are one of the forward planners or a late panic buyer, you may inevitably need some last-minute shopping in the run up to Christmas. We look at what to buy, and where, how best to pay for things, the cheapest and most reliable ways to send presents to friends and family both at home and abroad, and
