Christmas Shopping

Comments 10

1. 
   Simple Living Global

   December 21, 2018 at 11:32 am

   Metro News – 21 December 2018 page 19

   Experts have warned that the NHS is facing ‘massive stress’ in the festive season run-up.

   The president of the Society of Acute Medicine said that figures do not show the whole picture.

   If we read this blog and then our blog about D E C E M B E R – would we get a deeper insight into why this additional stress comes to our national health service at this time of year?
   https://simplelivingglobal.com/d-e-c-e-m-b-e-r/

   Have we as a world lost the plot when it comes to the festive season and are we getting caught up in behaviour that is not our usual for the rest of the year?

   Are we making the choices to not take the real deep care that our body needs all year round and then somehow things get out of control and we end up needing hospital care at the end of the year?

   Are we over indulging because everyone else is doing it and this has a knock on effect because we have with our choices added stress to the NHS?

   This news story is spelling out to us that there is a correlation – a link that is saying our hospitals are under great stress because of the Christmas season.

   So what are we going to do about it to ensure we do not add any stress to the NHS?

   What is our individual responsibility and where can we start?

   What if there is another way where a calendar date does not alter or change our internal state of being in any way, shape or form?

   What if this website is on the front foot when it comes to true health and well being for all of humanity because it consistently presents us with questions to consider, so that we can choose to make lifestyle choices that no longer harm us, others or our planet?

   Reply
2. 
   Shevon Simon

   December 24, 2018 at 7:36 pm

   Thank you Simple Living Global once again for another superb post.

   Looking at the figures of how much we are spending, it is an extraordinary amount and considering that most people’s lives are spent looking forward to this once a year event, it feels like this is a perpetual cycle of spend, spend, spend.

   It can be quite difficult not to get caught up in Christmas spending as everywhere that we look – whether it be on TV, on the internet or in our local supermarkets – there are constant messages about Christmas. Whether it be the speciality food, reduced priced items, or gift ideas everything seems to change at this time of year with the focus on one thing – Christmas.

   Reading this recent news article on Christmas shopping is an eye-opener

   The Telegraph – 20 December 2018

   Christmas deliveries are now taking two days longer than previous years as online shopping hits new high.

   https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/20/christmas-deliveries-now-taking-two-days-longer-previous-years/

   Research by retail analysts at accounting firm Accenture found that –

   25% retailers said that they were struggling to cope with purchasing demands at peak times.

   At the same time customers are being asked to spend more in order to qualify for free delivery; the spending threshold for free delivery has risen by 5% compared to 2017.

   Separate data from complaints handling firm Revolver, shows complaints about online shops and delivery firms in December 2018 has soared when compared to the same period last year.

   This December it has taken 443 complaints per day about online shops and delivery firms.
   This is almost triple the amount from 2017, when 166 complaints per day were taken.

   Something clearly is not right.

   We are demanding more and more and even the retailers cannot keep up.

   Are all of these purchases really needed and if not, why are we spending so much?

   The creation of the internet has made this even more possible. No longer do we have to leave our home as within seconds we have clicked the buttons and got the purchase that we desire. Online purchasing can even be completed just as quick whilst we are on the go due to mobile phones.

   What if we have a perpetual need to keep going and going because we never stop and as result we create more and more things that we think we need.?

   What if none of these things are needed and it is true connection that we seek?

   Do these blogs by Simple Living Global hold the answers?

   https://simplelivingglobal.com/plug-in-and-connect/

   https://simplelivingglobal.com/stop-just-stop/

   Reply
3. 
   Shevon Simon

   December 24, 2018 at 10:00 pm

   BBC News – 24 December 2018

   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46672730

   This year it is forecast that shops will make bigger discounts than usual in the Boxing Day sales.

   Retailers will be forced to cut prices to clear unwanted stock.

   Average discounts of at least 52% off from Boxing Day have been predicted by management consultancy Deloitte.

   Post-Christmas sales are incredibly important for a retailer just to keep their house in order says Richard Perks, Director of Retail Research at Mintel.

   By midday this Christmas Eve, the number of shoppers overall visiting High Street shops, shopping centres and retail parks was up 6.8% on 2017.

   Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman said the high level of pre-Christmas discounting showed the industry was “very distressed”. Discounts have come earlier, he said as retailers have far too much stock and not enough cash.

   Traditionally part of the reason for Boxing Day sales has not just been to get rid of unwanted stock, but to bring in cash to pay for new stock.

   However many shops are now offering money off most of the time, meaning that traditional sales like Boxing Day have become rather meaningless. The eternal discounting now means that customers are encouraged to put off purchases, because they know if they wait the price will come down.

   Reading this it seems like the whole retail industry is a game and not just there for the simple production of goods that customers want.

   What if the focus was on providing quality products that support our clients and that was it?

   What if the sole focus of making money was not at the forefront of any business?

   What if through operating in this way as a retailer we would make enough money for what we need, not in excess and this would stop the current game of the way that we do business?

   What if by putting people before profit, we would have a whole different retail industry?
   One that is focused on quality and care and not all about the £$.

   Reply
4. 
   Shevon Simon

   December 25, 2018 at 8:07 am

   Waitrose – Food Newspaper
   13 December 2018

   One vegetable producer shared that during week beginning 10th December 2018 demand for brussels sprouts goes up 800% compared to what it would have been at the beginning of December.

   “We’ll have 11 harvesting machines running almost 24 hours a day, harvesting 32 rows at a time – in fact, we’ve got machines that we don’t use for the rest of the year, but have to have just for this week. The rush starts 10 days before Christmas and the busiest time is the 20th to the 22nd because that’s when we have to get deliveries out for the days most people do their Christmas food shopping.” says George Read, Lincolnshire grower

   It is so interesting that at one time of year our food choices change and look at the demand 800%. I have always known brussels sprouts to be associated with Christmas but had no idea the demand is so high, considering they are available the rest of the year.

   What makes one thing popular over another at this time of year?

   Why do we the consumer demand certain items at this time of year?

   What is the background – what is behind it all?

   What does this insistent call for certain products do to the manufacturers or those working in the industry?

   Does it put them under unnecessary strain and stress just so we can get what we want?

   Is this necessary and is this the best way for us to be using our resources?

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5. 
   Bina Pattel

   October 11, 2019 at 1:17 pm

   For the record – we are in mid-October but our supermarkets are getting in the Christmas edibles already.

   I like to see what they have and what suppliers are coming up with based on demand of course. It is us who want our all butter mince pies with brandy 2 months before the big day so they give it to us.

   We then read the newspapers to be told that we have an obesity epidemic and the focus seems to be on children but what about adults consuming foods that are high in the wrong fats and full of sugar.

   On that note, I was checking the gluten and dairy free food aisle which is now growing.
   So much of it has added sugar and why do we want gluten free dairy free chocolate brownies. Is it because we do not want to look at WHY we have a gluten intolerance?

   Christmas shopping and the word “Indulgence” goes together and has done so for a very long time.

   Where is our excess shopping going to lead us and what is the purpose?

   How many of us post Christmas when it’s all over have said “was it worth it”?

   I certainly have and it’s taken me a decade to totally and absolutely wean myself off from subscribing to what I call the consciousness of Christmas shopping.

   Gone are the days of the crazy frenzy must have shopping.
   It’s just normal now and another day in the calendar.

   The bonus for me is the time off work and the holidays is an opportunity to get jobs done that need attention in the home or office and doing this has really worked.

   Weird, stupid and whacky some may think but for me I know that this feels a very true and rewarding way to live and my body is not whacked after any boozy event or over eating in the name of Christmas.

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6. 
   Simple Living Global

   November 7, 2019 at 1:10 pm

   In the UK £6.8 Billion for Christmas Advertising is now under way according to the national newspapers.

   So we call on a famous pop singer and the cast of an animation movie to “help shift everything from crisps to turkey crowns and musical instruments”.

   Of course the ads know when is the best time to hook us in and get the masses, like in the middle of the famous soap opera on a Friday night or Saturday during the big famous reality show.

   We pay the singer £9 million to promote crisps which will have a Christmas flavour.
   What are the additives going inside our belly to get this Christmas flavour we want?

   Of course there is heaps more to report and all the big stores will be at it with the adverts, as this is where they make the bulk of their profits in the year.

   So festive commercials are big business all round.
   Do we stop to ask the questions WHY and HOW has it come to this?

   We bang on about all the things that need sorting and fixing in our wastefull world but we seem ok to accept that this type of marketing goes on because we want it, we demand it and we get what we want in our world of free will.

   According to Retail Research, shoppers are expected to spend £80 billion in the final 6 weeks of the festive season.

   ADD to that all the online spending which is going to be another £6.8 billion and we can see clearly where we are heading in the shopping department.

   These numbers are one small country but it gives us a snap shot, a microcosm of what is going on in our world today.

   So WHY do we need advertising in this way?
   Is the music going to lure us in to spending more?
   Is the screen going to get us to “reminisce leafing through our book of dreams”
   Are we desperate that we need a cooker to morph into stage lights on our TV?

   Are we demanding this and so those who profit are simply supplying us what we want?

   Is there another way or do we think this is how it should be and needs to be and that’s it?

   If dear reader the answer is Yes to the above question, then how come we are so miserable soon after the festive season is over?

   How come we are seeing more and more people get depression and give up on life?
   How come we are seeing such a rise in mental health conditions including children?
   How come we are seeing that all this excess indulgence is not making us happy bunnies?

   How come we are heading for the health system to face bankruptcy because of our lifestyle choices with diseases that are costing us way too much?

   Is it possible to enjoy the time off that most of us have during this season without getting caught up in the frenzy of shopping and over eating?

   Is it possible that if we remain consistent and operate with our “business as usual” hat on, chances are we will not fall off the wagon or be needing any medic or hospital to sort us out, OR feel anxious about the debt incurred with all this Christmas Shopping AND this will lead to more sensible steps in the new year?

   Is it possible that we use Christmas Shopping to give us a licence – permission to go nuts and think about the consequences at a later date or simply be an ostrich and forget about the debts until things get really bad?

   Is it possible we use Christmas Shopping to distract us away from the important things in life like going to bed early and cooking food from scratch that will support us and our wallet at the same time, because we like the false world we have created as it lets us stay irresponsible?

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7. 
   Simple Living Global

   December 14, 2020 at 6:33 am

   Today is Green Monday and we are being told that if we missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday then we get another chance to do bargain discounted Christmas Shopping.

   Do we end up spending more because we get hooked into the knock down price of something or are we genuinely buying because we need something and this would be a great time to make that purchase and save some money?

   Are we on the throwaway society bandwagon?

   In other words, we have aligned to a culture that discards anything it no longer sees as new and it could even mean a one-time use only. Sounds way off and crazy but we have this mindset that it’s totally ok to not take any responsibility for what we are choosing to buy and where it ends up once we say ‘no thanks’.

   Are we on the shop, shop, shop, can’t get enough momentum?

   In other words, we use shopping as our ‘go to’ – call it self medication and now life is even easier because anything we desire (and more) is there on our screen and we always find what we seek.

   We love the buzz that online shopping adds to our Christmas mood.

   Do we use Christmas as an excuse to spend more “because we can”?
   In other words, we have the money or we have the plastic cards so why not?

   Green Monday exists because the retailers know the demand will be there and that means, we the consumers will buy and keep buying.

   When we buy without any consideration – what happens?
   Where does it all go and what purpose does it serve?

   Is it really needed or was it a one minute wonder thing?

   Are we wanting more fancy gifts under the Christmas tree?
   Are we wanting to get others to thank us for our generosity?

   Whatever our reasons for shopping? –
   Do we use Christmas to go into excess?

   In other words, are we using this time of the year to go over the top because that is what the masses, the majority do, as it’s the season to be merry, jolly and ir-responsible?

   If we read this blog and then Online Shopping on this website, we can get a snapshot of what this is all about or we carry on business as usual in our spend spend spend mode ‘Because We Can’ – another blog worth reading.

   https://simplelivingglobal.com/online-shopping/
   https://simplelivingglobal.com/because-we-can/

   Simple Living Global are presenting blogs that bring awareness about human life and posing questions for the reader to consider, as something is not right about the way we are operating – in other words, how we are living in daily life.

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8. 
   Simple Living Global

   December 20, 2020 at 5:48 am

   Mail Online – 19 December 2020
   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9069047/Royal-Mail-swamped-millions-parcels-year.html

   Royal Mail – the UK’s main public postal service is swamped by millions more parcels this year.

   Sorting offices are so inundated, that staff are having to stack the items outside, which means there is a risk of them being stolen or damaged by rain or snow.

   With a huge shift to online shopping, there are an estimated 200 million more parcels in the postal and courier system this year.

   33,000 temporary staff have been employed to deal with the festive demand.

   The big supermarkets are struggling with a high demand for deliveries during the festive rush.

   A strategic nightmare for the postal service that is getting more complicated because of the pandemic lockdown restrictions and people Christmas shopping online and record traffic.

   The chaos comes from Britain’s ports which cannot cope. 20 mile traffic jams in France through the night as thousands of lorries attempt to cross the channel into the UK.

   Retailers ordered items in August for Christmas have not arrived because of the shipping chaos by the pandemic in China and problems unloading in the UK.

   So are we going to get emotional and rant about all of this or is this virus going to be the circulating topic of all our Christmas conversations?

   Question – does venting at the local postman, the delivery guy or the person at the sorting office change anything other than give us a temporary relief from our frustration?

   If we look at the bigger picture for one moment.
   We rely on China for a lot of goods and shipping is being delayed and it started back in March with the country’s first lockdown.

   A virus has changed the retail world and 9 months later things have not suddenly snapped back to how it was.

   What we can say is that we have changed our behaviour during this period.

   Staying indoors has led to more shopping online and that means more to deliver to our doorstep and retailers are busy trying to keep up with our demands, but clearly are failing as we just seem to want more and more, even during a time where many have little or no income and we are supposedly in a time of austerity.

   And now we have Christmas and that means even more spending.

   What is all this spending giving us – a momentary relief or real quality and value where we feel settled with our new purchase(s)?

   Are we seeking old behaviour to not deal with the real life stuff that is in our face every day?

   Are we enjoying the stimulation that we get from the packages arriving like a gift from Santa?

   Are we plain and simply bored with life and have had enough of restrictions so we have let loose and gone wild with plastic cards online because we can and no one can stop us?

   Are we making wise choices when it comes to shopping – online or offline for our goods and services and what is enough?

   Do we have a stop marker or is enough never enough, as shopping is something we cannot get enough of?

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9. 
   Simple Living Global

   October 31, 2021 at 5:27 pm

   Independent News – 31 October 2021

   https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/christmas-2021-shopping-early-online-searches-not-translating-strong-sales-1276868

   600% rise in Christmas Shopping online searches this year.

   628% rise in online searches for “Christmas dresses”.

   88% rise in online searches for “Christmas Turkey”.

   However, retailers are not seeing the early rush in sales they were hoping for.
   It could be that the demand has not yet materialised.

   Analysts are warning retailers to be careful about bringing the festive season forward in future years as this could trigger a backlash. Supermarkets with mince pies and Christmas cakes on their shelves in mid-September and JL – a British established department store launching an online Christmas shop in August in response to “soaring” demand.

   Is the delay in purchasing really about the rise in heating costs and petrol at the highest on record? Have we got it all right?

   Could it be possible that an indication of our demand is shown by our department store opening its online Christmas shop in August? Let us not blame the supplier when they only have a business to profit from if the demand, and that means us, the customers are there, ready and willing to buy. It is always demand and then supply and this is worth taking note of.

   The fact we have staggering statistics saying we are making online searches is speaking volumes, if we stop long enough to consider this.

   Are we suffering with FOMO – fear of missing out?
   https://simplelivingglobal.com/f-o-m-o-fear-of-missing-out/

   Are we feeling down and dull from restrictions, so we want an escape?
   Are we going to make up for last years lockdown so we need a Christmas dress?

   Whatever our reasons for shopping, it is important to question why we do it and that goes with every choice we make in life.

   Reply
10. 
    Tim Bowyer

    February 11, 2022 at 3:36 am

    Thank you Simple Living Global for this blog highlighting the shocking amount of money being spent for what is, in truth, one day.

    One of the stats say that in the USA alone, there will $1.1 Trillion expected to be spent in holiday sales this year.

    This is not a few billion or even $100 Billion, that would be a lot but we are talking over $1,000 Billion – $1,000,000,000,000.

    That amount is more than most countries GDP.

    The previous blog from Simple Living Global talked about Christmas waste and I am pretty sure that a lot of this $1.1 Trillion could end up being part of a comment for that blog.

    With the poverty, starvation, famine and drought we have all around the world, can we really justify this reckless spending in the name of keeping us stimulated and excited for one day of the year?

    Reply