How To Buy Last Minute Christmas Gifts (without making it obvious they were last minute!)

Last minute Christmas gifts purchased in a panic can be a dead giveaway that you haven’t planned ahead. It’s not easy to buy last minute christmas gifts without making it obvious. So, how can you make late present shopping work?

If you leave Christmas shopping to the last minute, you may hope you’ve dodged one problem on Christmas Day by having gifts to wrap, but you may also cause another. Some panic presents come with a flashing “didn’t go shopping until Christmas Eve” sign. This may make this less of a season of goodwill and more of a long period of simmering discontent.

How can you make last minute Christmas gifts look like you planned (and purchased) ahead?

Why do so Many Last Minute Christmas Presents Fail?

It’s more common than you may think to shop last minute. Whether you forgot someone on your list or added someone new to your list recently, there are many reasons we buy last minute Christmas gifts.

However, this creates problems. As Christmas approaches, the product availability in shops gets slim. What’s left may not be the presents your recipients were hoping to receive.

Last minute gifts are also often purchased in a panic. There’s not enough thought for the person receiving them. If it is on the shelf in a salable condition, then a panic buyer will buy it. But your gift recipient will quickly discern it’s a last minute flub.

Successful Last Minute Christmas Gift Shopping

A successful seasonal panic buy will look like you mean to buy it. All this requires is  thinking about the person you’ll give the gift to and what they like. Think about this before you hit the shops. Then, to try and target stores that will have what you need.

Before you shop, make a list of brands they like, clothing and shoe sizes, and interests they have. Check out if they are missing CDs from favorite bands/singers. Think about films and TV series that they may like.

One of our favorite go-to’s is character gift from favorite films. We’re extra-loving the Every Man Jack Marvel products this year for this reason. It’s a great gift for every guy on your shopping list and truly won’t scream “last minute” with cool characters like Iron Man and Black Panther. The Body Kits are an excellent gift!

Everyday essentials from EveryMan Jack also make for the best stocking stuffer gifts. From beard butter to skin masks, they have everything you need for a thoughtful gift that will be well appreciated.

For the women on your list, check out Vital You Bath Bombs. Their Joy CBD Bath Bomb creates the ‘essence of the holidays’ with warming spices of cinnamon + clove, balanced with spearmint + cardamon. It will lift anyone’s holiday spirits and they are so luxurious, no one will ever think twice (or care) that you purchased it last minute!

Ideas for Last Minute Christmas Presents

In some cases, choosing the right gift will be relatively easy. In others, you may need to think outside the box. If what you want is sold out, some tried-and-true last minute ideas include:

• Gift cards and vouchers. Options include favourite shops and restaurants, spas, hotels, cinemas and theatres, music downloads, book tokens, magazine subscriptions and even days out or experience days.
• Gift sets and boxes: Many stores sell Christmas gift sets that could be a hit. Options include wine and beer boxes, tea/coffee gift sets or chocolate or foodie baskets.
• Holiday photo cards: If you have taken a lot of family photos over the year, then you could take your memory card to a photo store and print out a selection of your favorites. Create a wonderful holiday photo card to send to loved ones. Or, buy a nice album, stick them in and you’ll give an instant keepsake that looks like it took some effort. Buying a nice photo frame for a favorite picture may work well too.
• Things they want to do: If the person you’re buying for has always wanted to do something, then giving them the opportunity to do this in the New Year could make a great gift. This could be a major promise such as a trip to Paris or a sky-diving course. Or, it could be something more simple such as a meal out at a top-notch restaurant or a trip to the theatre.

If you are shopping late this year, remember to check out store closing times, especially if you really leave it to the last minute on Christmas Eve when shops may close early. If you shop late online, try to leave some delivery time leeway. Even if you meet the last posting deadline for Christmas, remember that postal services will be backed up, so online shopping may only work if you have some extra days to spare.