Your family told you what they wanted weeks ago, surely you haven’t waited until now to go and buy your Christmas gifts?

So what are you prepared to do to get it? Christmas is a time for giving, but if you’re unable to get it, how can you give it?

Last month a surge of sharp-eyed shoppers trampled a wary Walmart worker to death during the sales in North America. But, before we all tut with Anglo assurance, bear in mind that a few years ago a North London branch of IKEA had to close down after just thirty minutes when the chaotic crowd pushed and pulled each other to try and get the best bargains.

This is supposed to be a fun, carefree and rejoiceful time, a time when we think about others. But does that mean all others? Or just the others in our lives; the others that matter? My others. Forget your others.

      
Paramedic Claire Alexander feels that time constraints are tightening each year and that this year her shopping will be “squeezed in-between shifts at work.” There have been twelve months since the last Christmas, that’s a long time to buy gifts people!

What about the responsibility of stores? Last week, Woolworths had to clarify their original 50% off sign by putting up a notice in their stores pointing out the existence of a tiny font sized ‘up to’ by the side of the gigantic 50%.

Deborah Aplin, 21, team leader of the Kingston branch of Woolworths admitted that many customers had complained against such a brazen and misleading marketing technique. Mrs. Aplin also said that in the last few days a new notice had been put up informing people that no violence or abusive behaviour would be tolerated against staff. However, and she sparkled as she said: “although it gets more manic, the customers are nicer because it’s Christmas.”

James Akano, store manager of BHS in Kingston for seven years, contemplated whether aggressive advertising encouraged aggressive consumerism before saying: “If promotions and events are clear and the customers understand, then there is less chance of frustration.”

Stacey Lewis, 28, assistant manager of Primark, believes that because Primark has sales and promotions every week customers are less in “panic mode.” The IKEA sales incident seemed to be destined for panic mode as pressurised promotions included the leafleting of Tube stations in the area advising people to arrive before 3.am to get the best deals on an offer that would only last for 24 hours. The IKEA store was also in Edmonton which is the second poorest constituency in London.

Mrs. Lewis said: “Different clientele do react differently. The behavior of Primark customers is a little bit less respectful.” Mr. Akano also agreed that: “In poorer areas, people are more inclined to fight for bargains.”

But neither Primark nor BHS reported an increase in rates of aggressive or anti-social behaviour during the Christmas period. The John Lewis department store can be considered to be at the higher end of the retail market and Operations Manager Andy Layton said that during the Christmas period, they “bulk out the stock, making it more accessible, [have] larger ticketing and more focused ticket managing.” Mr. Layton also believes, like all of our mothers, that: “In general the vast majority of our customers will treat us the way we treat them.”

What about the big CC, surely that can be blamed for something? The Credit Crunch has to be a contributing factor to Christmas consumer behavior, right? People fear for their jobs, money is tight, Mr. Layton said: “Shoplifting is more likely to increase due to economic and social reasons than Christmas trade.”

According to Primark, there is no increase in Christmas crime rates because they have sales all year round, no increase of Christmas exasperation at BHS because all promotional signs are all so clear and Karma ensures that there won’t be any naughty noel type nonsense at John Lewis. 

At Woolworths they merely ask the customers to be nice and it seems they listen.  In Primark,  I. Ibrahim, 59, security guard, confides that there is an increase in Christmas incidents. He whispers: “Most people get annoyed at women with children’s buggies hitting them by accident.”

Stephen Delderfield, 24, an engineer, seemed to give the most representative quote for the kindly people of Kingston. He said that  he was not prepared to “do anything barbaric or unreasonable” in order to get that Christmas gift.

It could be the worst is yet to come. This Christmas may remain civilized, but watch out for next year, when our pockets are empty because we’ve lost our jobs, more department stores have closed and we are all shopping at the last minute because we’ve got that extra shift to work, we’ll be fighting in the aisles to get it. Will you be prepared?

Merry Christmas.

Picture credit: Jason Alden/Rex Features