A Guide to Christmas Shopping
19 November 2014
Christmas. It's a word that can fill you with joy or dread, or perhaps a little bit of both, especially as it appears to be getting more and more expensive every year.
As the festive period draws nearer the media is awash with headlines about the rising cost of Christmas and 2017 is no different:
"Families expected to spend an average of £796 on Christmas this year"
"71% of celebrating households plan to shop for presents online"
"Black Friday 2015 will lead to the first £1bn online shopping day in the UK"
"The average child's Christmas list adds up to nearly £900, with parent's buying an average of £207 worth of their wishes"
To help you combat the festive pull on your purse strings, we've put together this guide to getting the best deals over the Christmas period, including tips for making the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, savvy budgeting ideas and of course, a few friendly nudges towards our money-saving discount vouchers.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Ways to Save this Christmas
Last Order Dates for Christmas Delivery
vouchercloud Christmas Competitions
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Ever since 2010, two notorious American traditions have slowly crept their way onto our shores and into the mind-set of retailers and consumers alike; Black Friday and its lesser known digital sibling Cyber Monday. At vouchercloud we want to make sure you can take advantage of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals around, so sign up for our emails to guarantee you don't miss out on the best discounts. Or, give us a like on Facebook to receive updates about the best deals and exclusive content on these famed shopping days.
What are Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Black Friday is always the first Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States and is often regarded as the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season. As a result, most major retailers extend their opening hours, offer incredibly good discounts on popular products and encourage shoppers to fill their baskets both online and in store. In America, the media has long described Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year and the craze has clearly been adopted here in the UK.
This year, Black Friday was on Friday 25th November and retailers were gearing up for weeks to offer consumers some of the best deals around.
Why is it Called Black Friday?
The Philadelphia police force coined the term in the 1960s. They were referring to the same day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, which even back then saw a mass of ravenous Christmas shoppers descend upon the popular retail area. Pedestrians and motorists caused a great deal of congestion, much to the dismay of the police, which led to the ‘Black Friday’ label.
An alternative meaning behind the name relates to accounting. As would be expected, the onslaught of customers on a single shopping day leads to a considerable hike in retailers’ revenue (over $50b was spent in the US across the four-day weekend last year). It is therefore said that the period propels retailers to move ‘out of the red’ and ‘into the black’. Hence, Black Friday.
Online Shopping on Cyber Monday
Traditionally Black Friday focused on driving customers to high street stores and shopping centres but with the meteoric rise of online shopping, Cyber Monday was soon born and now, both days are big for shopping in person and on the web. Falling on Monday 28th November this year, Cyber Monday is seen as the online equivalent of Black Friday. On Cyber Monday shoppers can browse and spend without the hassle (and risk) of fending off the hordes of other customers in stores. Instead, the first Monday after Thanksgiving is the time consumers shop from home, heading to the internet to grab the latest bargains and limited-time deals. Last year Visa estimated £720m was spent online in the UK on Cyber Monday and Amazon UK sold an incredible 64 items per second, accumulating over £5.5m in sales.
All this hubbub shows how important it is to make sure you are the first to know of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals because you won't want to miss out! Sign up with vouchercloud and we'll send you an outstanding array of up-to-date deals from the best shops and online stores around.
So what Deals can you Expect?
Gadget connoisseurs will be waiting with baited breath to find out if Apple, who are notorious for never having a sale, will be participating in the Black Friday excitement in the UK this year.
In 2013 they bucked the trend for Black Friday and Black Friday only but last year, there weren't any discounts to be found on the iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, or the rest. They're yet to enlighten the public on the possibilities of saving this year but if you take a look at the offers in 2013, it shows that it pays to wait and find out.
On Black Friday in 2013 the iPad Air was cut from £399 to £368, while the iPad mini was discounted from £249 to £234 and the larger-screened iPad 2 from £329 to £304. Apple computers also came down in price, with the MacBook Air and iMac on sale with savings of £81.
Amazon is another retail giant that proudly waves the Black Friday flag. This year, This year they're holding a massive deals event over 10 days, to include the massive discounts on Black Friday, in which there will be time and quantity limited offers on some of their best products. What's more, they even cut the price tag on Amazon Prime membership, especially for the big day! Members will have exclusive access to Amazon Black Friday deals ahead of time, so it's worth signing up for the privilege to avoid missing out.
On Cyber Monday last year, dozens of websites offered special discounts, including Amazon, Currys and Argos. Very.co.uk added extra discounts to a range of fashion and gifts, while Boots offered a range of Cyber Monday discounts, lowering prices on perfume, makeup and gift sets.
For those who can't easily get online on Cyber Monday, some retailers are taking the shopping phenomenon a step further and offering 'Cyber Week' deals.
As Black Friday and Cyber Monday become increasingly more popular in the UK, it might get tricky trying to keep an eye out for the best deals and buying what you want before stocks run out. You can rest easy knowing that vouchercloud has done all the hard work for you, finding the best offers around and making it simpler for you to make some great savings in the run up to Christmas.
Visit the dedicated Black Friday page on vouchercloud to find this year's best deals, or check out our selection of Cyber Monday offers.
More Ways to Save this Christmas
If you don't manage to get all your Christmas shopping done during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, don't fear, here are some useful Christmas shopping tips to help you spend wisely.
- Make a list of who you need to buy gifts for, with gift ideas next to their names. This will hopefully stop you from forgetting someone important and having to endure a last minute panic splurge.
- It's scary how quickly spending can spiral out of control, so make sure you set a budget for each person - and stick to it.
- Make sure you're getting the best deal available on your shopping using price comparison sites. They work by simply comparing the price of your chosen product with a huge variety of online retailers, so you can be sure you're paying the cheapest price.
- Make a point of using your Boots Advantage Card and other loyalty cards like a Tesco Clubcard or Nectar card. In the run up to Christmas you can enjoy benefits when you buy household necessities such as toothpaste and bump up your points to use towards presents! Look out for special 'double points' promotions too - many stores have frequent incentives in the run-up to Christmas so take advantage of earning even more points when you spend.
- Plan ahead and spread out your purchases over November and December, this way you won't over-stretch your finances. You can't be too prepared!
- Sign up to the vouchercloud newsletter and get exclusive access to discounts and handy perks like free delivery.
- Plus, we gather together the best Christmas vouchers all in one place, so be sure not to miss them!
Last Order Dates for Christmas Delivery
Everyone has the best intentions to be organised and have all their Christmas shopping completed and each present wrapped up by the 15th of December - but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. With all the mulled wine, mince pies and festive shenanigans going on, in the lead up to the big day it may suddenly dawn on you that you might have left your Christmas shopping a little too late. Or maybe you've forgotten about poor Aunt Susan…
If you happen to find yourself in this predicament, here are some of the biggest online retailers’ last order dates. There might still be time to place your order online and have the final batch of presents delivered to your home.
Department Stores
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Last Order Dates | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argos | Before 6pm 23rd December | Before 6pm 23rd December | Store collection up to 24th December |
| Amazon | 21st December | 23rd December | Free delivery available |
| Asda George | Before 7pm 19th December | Before 7pm 23rd December | Free delivery on selected products |
| BHS | Before 5pm 19th December | Before 5pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £50 |
| Debenhams | 18th December | 22nd December | Last date for Click & Collect orders is 23rd December. |
| Dunelm | 20th December | 21st December | Free standard delivery on orders over £49 |
| Harrods | 19th December | 22nd December | Next Day Delivery £12 |
| Harvey Nichols | Before 3pm 20th December | Before 6pm 21st December | Free to collect in Store |
| House of Fraser | 18th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £50 |
| John Lewis | 18th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on order over £50 |
| Liberty | 16th December | Before 1pm 22nd December | Next Working Day Delivery £10 |
| Littlewoods | 23rd December | 23rd December | Check details for individual items |
| M&S | 16th December | Before 8pm 22nd December | Free next day in-store collection available |
| MandM Direct | Before 12 noon 21st December | Before 12 noon 21st December | Standard Delivery £4.49 |
| Selfridges | 19th December | 22nd December | Order before 4pm for Next Day Delivery |
| Tesco Direct | Before 5pm 19th December | Before 3pm 22nd December | Free Click+Collect |
| The White Company | 19th December | 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £50 |
| Very.co.uk | 19th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Check details for individual items |
Fashion Retailers
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Last Order Dates | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent Provocateur | 21st December | 23rd December | Standard Delivery £5 |
| Ann Summers | 21st December | Before 2pm 22nd December | Click and Collect available |
| ASOS | 15th December | Before 5pm 23rd December | Free delivery available |
| Boden | 20th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Standard Delivery £4 |
| boohoo.com | Before 9pm 20th December | Before 10pm 22nd December | Saver delivery £3.99 |
| Burton | 20th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Free Delivery on orders over £30 |
| Coast | 16th December | Before 8pm 23rd December | Standard delivery £3.99 |
| Dorothy Perkins | 19th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Next day delivery £5.95 |
| French Connection | 20th December | Before midday 22nd December | Standard delivery £3.95 |
| Gap | 16th December | 21st December | Standard Delivery £4 |
| JD Sports | 19th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Standard Delivery £3.99 |
| Jigsaw | 19th December | Before 3pm 23rd December | Free Standard Delivery when you spend over £100 |
| Karen Millen | 16th December | Before 8pm 23rd December | Special 60 minute delivery - before 5pm Christmas Eve |
| Made.com | 16th December | 16th December | On product page you'll see a dispatch estimate |
| Missguided | 15th December | Before 1pm 22nd December | Next day delivery free on orders over £60 |
| Net a Porter | 20th December | 22nd December | Order by 3pm for £8 Next Day Delivery |
| Next | Before Midnight 23rd December | Before Midnight 23rd December | Next Day Delivery £3.99 |
| New Look | Before 6pm 21st December | Before 7pm 23d December | Free next day delivery on orders over £75 |
| Office Shoes | 16th December | Before 5pm 23rd December | Free standard delivery on full price products |
| Paul Smith | 16th December | Before 3pm 23rd December | Next Day Delivery £10 |
| Schuh | 20th December | Before 10pm 23rd December | Check & Reserve available in stores |
| SportsDirect | 16th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Standard delivery £4.99 |
| Topshop/Topman | 19th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Standard delivery £4 |
| Urban Outfitters | 20th December | Before 4pm 22nd December | Standard delivery £3.99 |
| Warehouse | 20th December | Before 6pm 23rd December | Free standard delivery £4 |
| Zara | 20th December | 21st December | Free Delivery to Store |
Electrical Stores
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Last Order Dates | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Various | Various | Free delivery available |
| Currys/ PC World | Before 9pm 16th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Free delivery available |
| Dell | 16th December | 19th December | Ready to ship items deliver in 2-4 business days |
| GAME | 20th December | 23rd December | Free standard delivery |
| HP | 17th December | 22nd December | Free Delivery on £15 |
| HMV | 16th December | Before 2pm 21st December | Free delivery on orders over £10 |
| Zavvi | 20th December | Before 9pm 23rd December | Free standard delivery |
Beauty Shops
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Last Order Dates | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| allbeauty.com | 20th December | Before midday 23rd December | Standard Delivery £1.95 |
| Boots.com | 16th December | Before 7pm 23rd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £45 |
| Feelunique | Before midday 21st December | Before midday 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £10 |
| The Body Shop | 16th December | Before 2pm 22nd December | Standard Delivery £2.49 |
Great Gifts Stores
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Last Order Dates | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyagift.com | Before 2pm 21st December | Before 2pm 23rd December | Buy eVoucher gifts on Christmas day |
| Cath Kidston | 16th December | Before 3.30pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £40 |
| Ernest Jones | Before 2pm 22nd December | Before 3pm 23rd December | Free delivery on orders over £100 |
| Firebox.com | 16th December | Before 7pm 22nd December | Free Delivery on orders over £100 |
| Goldsmiths | Before 3pm 22nd December | Before 3pm 22nd December | Next Day Delivery is free before 6pm. |
| Hotel Chocolat | Before 6pm 19th December | Before 3pm 24th December | Standard delivery £3.95 |
| H Samuel | Before 2pm 22nd December | Before 3pm 23rd December | Free delivery on orders over £49 |
| Pet Runway | 16th December | 16th December | Free Delivery on Orders over £40 |
| Pets at Home | 19th December | Before 8pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on Orders over £35 |
| Thorntons | 16th December | Before 1pm 23rd December | Free standard delivery on Orders over £35 |
| Toys R Us | Before 12pm 16th December | Before 4pm 22nd December | Free delivery on orders over £29.99 |
| Watchshop | Before 4pm 22nd December | Before 4pm 22nd December | Order by 4pm for Next Day Delivery |
| Waterstones | 19th December | Before 2pm 22nd December | Free standard delivery on orders over £20 |
| WHSmith | 15th December | Before midday 22nd December | Standard delivery free on orders over £25 |
| Virgin Experience Days | Before 2pm 21st December | Before 2pm 23rd December | Buy eVouchers on Christmas Day |
Christmas Food
| Store Name | Standard Delivery Before Christmas | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|
| M&S Food to Order | Before 5pm 15th December | Last collection slots on 24th December |
| Sainsbury's Groceries Collection | While collection slots last | Last collection slot midday 24th December |
| Tesco Groceries Delivery | While delivery slots last | Last delivery slots on 24th December |
| Waitrose Christmas Turkey Orders | 15th December | Delivery or collection 20th to 24th December |
If the worst comes to the worst and you do miss those crucial last delivery dates, fear not - eVouchers for experience days and printable gift cards make great presents too. Check out our available offers for Virgin Experience Days and Red Letter Days to give someone a gift they won't forget or the gifts and occasions vouchers page for a more general guide to saving.
Win Prizes this Christmas with vouchercloud!
This year we are offering a selection of exclusive prizes, ranging from the latest gadgets and electronics to 5* all-inclusive trips abroad. We're adding a new prize every day right up until Boxing Day, so there are plenty of ways to win big for yourself and the whole family!
If you want to get involved with our fabulous daily giveaways, simply login or signup.
We hope you'll be able to use vouchercloud this year to get the most out of Christmas!
Wishing you all a Merry money-saving Christmas and a Happy New Year,
- The vouchercloud team x
