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Our partners top the list of most difficult people to buy Christmas gifts for

Posted: 18th December 2019

With Christmas Day only a week away, many shoppers are still facing the challenge of finding the perfect gift for their loved ones.  According to research carried out by John Lewis & Partners*, it’s our partners who are top of that ‘don’t-know-what-to-get-them’ list. Perhaps because it matters so much, more than 1 in 5 people (22%) say they have the most difficulty buying gifts for their other half.  Almost as many women (25%) as men (20%) find their partner the hardest to shop for.

In a bid to find that perfect gift, the number of people giving experiences instead of physical gifts is rising.  Over a quarter of those polled (25%) plan to give experience gifts this Christmas, providing a personal and memorable present for those who seem to have everything.  John Lewis & Partners has also seen evidence of the trend in shops – over the past year bookings for personal styling appointments have increased by 34%, and appointments for home interiors advice have risen by 19%.

In response to this demand, John Lewis & Partners has launched a new range of experiences ahead of Christmas in order to help Christmas shoppers find that all important perfect present. These range from the gift of a ‘Style Confidence’ personal styling experience, to a ‘Beauty Indulgence’ pampering experience, to an ‘Inspiring Interiors’ experience for those looking for style inspiration for their home in 2020.

Those aged 18-34 years are more than seven times as likely to buy an experience gift than those aged over 55 years, and of those that will be buying an experience, over half (52%) say they will be doing so this year because they “think it will be more memorable than a physical gift”.  Others stated it was the ideal solution because they’re “buying for someone who has a lot of possessions” (27%), while 12% said it’s because they “hope it will inspire them to give themselves a bit more ‘me time’ and 7% give experience gifts because it’s “more personal”.

Anna Berry, Partner and Head of Gifts, Cook and Dine at John Lewis said; “We put ourselves under so much pressure to buy perfect Christmas gifts.  Customers tell us that they have two things in mind when they shop which are getting the gifts on their list and inspiration for family and friends they don’t know what to give.

“Partners in our shops are happy to give customers gift ideas, and they’re seeing demand rise for personalised and experience gifts. Experiences are a great choice for loved ones who seem to have everything, or who don’t know what they want.”

Gifts of Experience cards can now be purchased in both John Lewis and Waitrose shops in Edinburgh and on www.johnlewis.com. The giver decides how much they put on a gift card for their loved one to spend on products after the experience.

Details of experiences available at John Lewis & Partners Edinburgh this year include:

Style Confidence

Boost a loved one’s style confidence with a Personal Styling session with one of John Lewis’s expert Stylists. The recipient will be invited to sit back and sip on a glass of prosecco in their very own styling suite while a Stylist finds pieces that they’ll love. They can then spend their included gift card on the clothes and accessories they want to take home.

Beauty Indulgence

Treat them to a tailored pampering experience. They can choose from a range of luxurious beauty treatments. After their treatment, they can use any remaining balance on the card to buy the products they loved the most.

Inspiring Interiors

Help them create their perfect home during a 90-minute, in-store appointment with a John Lewis expert Home Design Stylists. During their experience, they’ll be provided with tailored recommendations that they can then buy with your included gift card.

Confident New Parents

From baby’s arrival to their first steps and beyond, this personal nursery consultation will help new parents. During their experience, they’ll be provided with Nursery and Babywear recommendations that they can then buy with their gift card.

Business Comment

Business Comment is the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce’s bi-monthly magazine. It provides insight on Edinburgh’s vibrant business community, with features on the city’s key sectors, interviews with leading figures and news on new business developments in the capital.
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