City Matters Edition 014 Christmas 2016

CITYMATTERS.LONDON Christmas 2016 | Page 11
Shopping Matters
11th-HOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS UPON US
Final festive fling
LEFT your Christmas shopping until
the last minute? You’re not alone.
Almost half (45%) of UK adults still
have shopping to do, with 11th-hour
purchases averaging £66 according to
American Express research.
But if you thought you were doomed
to spend Christmas Eve fighting the
crowds on Oxford Street, think again.
The Square Mile is full to bursting
with last-minute gifts ideas you can grab
on your lunch hour – you just need to
know where to look…
FOR THE CLOTHES HORSE / One
New Change
The City’s largest shopping centre has a
good mix of high street retailers that can
sort you out for fashion, accessories and
shoes.
Those up for a game of chicken would
do well to wait until Christmas Eve, as
some stores are predicted to slash prices
by an average of 54%, according to
accountancy firm Deloitte.
You could also be in with a chance
to win a whole host of prizes as part of
One New Change’s 24 days of giveaways,
with everything from high tea to party
dresses up for grabs.
1 New Change EC4M 9AF
FOR THE ONE WITH EXPENSIVE
TASTE / Royal Exchange
Buying for someone who prefers the
cool and crafty:
Old Spitalfields
finer things in life? With more than 30
luxury retailers, the Royal Exchange
should be your first port of call.
Check out some of the British
heritage brands for a sure-fire treasure
trove of gift ideas – from an embossed
leather day planner from Smythson to
a personalised enamel snuffbox from
Halcyon Days or an original fragrance
from Penhaligon’s.
3 Royal Court EC3V 3LN
FOR THE COOL AND CRAFTY / Old
Spitalfields Market
A huge range of independent market
traders makes Old Spitalfields the go-to
for unique handcrafted gifts. Once a
Sunday morning mainstay, traders fill
the historic marketplace seven days a
week, spruiking cutting edge fashion
and interiors and original artworks.
Grab a bespoke handbag made with
upcycled leather from accessories label
Yildiz & I, menswear with a dash of
panache from Patch by Panod, items
to pamper your pooch from Edwyn
UK, and novel-inspired prints from
ABookOnOnePage.
Brushfield Street E1 6AA
FOR THE FOODIE / Leadenhall
Market
It might be the smallest of the bunch
but Leadenhall Market’s collection of
special food retailers are a one-stop shop
for stocking fillers.
Visit Amathus Drinks for a unique
range of fine wines, port and Champagne
plus an unrivalled selection of spirits
and liqueurs, or check out Bedales for a
wine workshop with a difference.
When in doubt, Cheese at Leadenhall
has over 200 cheeses from Britain and
Europe to choose from and what owner
Sue Cloke (aka the ‘Duchess of Cheese)
doesn’t know about dairy really isn’t
worth knowing.
Stop by Leadenhall any time this week
between midday and 2pm to catch live
entertainment from Jack Foley, Charlie
Carter and Rob Houston.
Gracechurch St EC3V 1LT
Your chance to win
LUXURY eyewear brand Cutler and Gross is giving one lucky
City Matters reader the chance to win a voucher to spend on a
brand new pair of hand crafted frames.
The winner will be able to book a personalised style appointment
in the Spitalfields store, where assistants will help them choose
the perfect frame from Cutler and Gross’ timeless designs.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to tell us
in what year Cutler and Gross was founded.
Answers, along with your name and phone number, should be
sent to editorial@citymatters.london by 30 December, with the
winner notified in the new year.
*Terms and conditions apply. Voucher is valued at £310 and cannot
be exchanged for cash. Change will not be given if purchase does not
reach value of voucher. Winners drawn at random, only successful
entrants will be notified. One entry per person.
intimidated: a study has
shown women are put off
by attractive shop assistants
Women will dodge stores
with attractive sales staff
NEARLY 70% of London women are “too
intimidated” to ask shop assistants for advice,
new research has revealed.
A survey of 2,000 UK women aged between
25 and 40 found that 43% of women admitted
avoiding a store and instead shopped online
because they were put off by “more attractive”
sales staff.
The research, carried out by jewellery brand
Stella & Dot also found that 56% of women
were deterred from shopping because
salespeople were “more stylish,” and 45%
avoided shops because the staff members were
“younger” than they were — which caused them
“anxiety.”
Some 70% of the respondents said they
preferred not to speak to shop assistants at all
and would rather just browse without being
asked if they need any help.
Most said they would turn to friends for style
advice.
Stella & Dot’s jewellery and accessories lines
are available exclusively through in-home
trunk shows, where the host invites friends
over to browse items, removing any element of
interaction with salespeople.
Stella & Dot vice president Kathleen Mitchell
said: “Shopping should be a joy and one where
you can expect great honest advice or, even
better, some help with the legwork by a personal
shopper.
“That is why we believe that all women
deserve a new way to shop – a way that is fun
and easy.”