Tag: UK

Adam Novak
Director and General Manager
Royal Mail Wholesale

Anybody sending presents abroad should be well off the starter’s blocks by now. Time is ticking and you should be thinking in terms of buying lightweight, non-delicate gifts such as light clothing, pens, or fabric toys. As an alternative, try an experiences gift from suppliers such as Boots the Chemists or Red Letter Days (0870 444 7000, www.redletterdays.co.uk.). Magazine or theatre subscriptions may also be worth considering.

Hampers are good options for Scots abroad missing their haggis or black pudding. Expats also often appreciate calendars from home and Tao of Alba (GBP 3.95, Ottakers, Borders or www.lyrical scotland.com) is an offbeat one, where the photographer Allan Wright gets beyond the picture postcard images to the very essence of Scotland.

However, those facing a mega wrap-and-pack session would do well to gather together all their supplies and tools such as scissors, tape, giftwrap, bubblewrap, envelopes and boxes, and keep them grouped together for the season. Re-use last year’s cards as gift tags and make your own gift wrap with rolls of plain brown paper covered with potato prints of simple shapes such as Christmas trees or stars. Use gold or silver paint, or red and green for a traditional look. It’s fun and you’ll cut costs.