Christmas Shopping is something that you love or hate. It can be busy, hectic, stressful with nowhere to park and endless queues. It can be fun with music, mulled wine and the excited anticipation of giving great gifts to those you love. Whatever your take on buying Christmas gifts, it is something that needs to be done unless you want to be very unpopular in your household!
Many people do their shopping online now and this has some great benefits. You are not restricted by what stock is held in your local stores and you can shop from anywhere around the country or even the world if you order in plenty of time to allow for delivery. You don’t need to leave the house, can shop in your pyjamas and at any time of the day or night that is convenient for you. There is no car journey and no parking charges and you can compare prices from different stores and get the best deals online.
However, if you enjoy the feel of Christmas and the lights, music and bustle of shopping then the internet is a little dull in this respect. There is much more atmosphere in a city or town centre and opportunities to see street performers or Santa which can be exciting if you have little ones with you. If you’re fairly organised then maybe do some shopping online and save the easy stuff for the real shops so you can get the best of both worlds. If it can be a relaxed trip then you’ll have time to sit back and soak up the vibes, grab a mulled wine or hot chocolate and listen to some carol singers. You certainly won’t get into the festive spirit staring at your laptop.
There is a lot to be said for supporting your local high street as they have often taken a bit of a battering from online sales in recent years. Some people don’t feel comfortable with parting with their bank details online anyway so visiting shops will be a safer option for many. Experience your Christmas shopping in Market Harborough this year and you won’t be let down. The town is one of the finalists in the Great British High Street Contest for 2016 in the large Market Town category. For more information, visit http://www.marketharborough.com/
The Great British High Street helps to support the revival, adaptation and diversification of high streets in the UK. The not-for-profit organisation wants to see regeneration and innovation to sustain our great tradition of high street shopping for future generations.
If you can’t bear the thought of pushing through crowds and carrying heavy bags back to your distantly parked car then why not reserve your high street visit simply for soaking up the spirit of the season. There are many things to see and do at this of year other than just shopping so get your coat on, grab your loved ones and get to the heart of your local community.