Happy Online Christmas
I’m NOT going Christmas shopping this year. The crowds, the waiting in queues, the parking and the general hassle of it all. Instead I’ve decided to do most of my shopping online and hope to have everything done, dusted and delivered by the end of the week.
There are some great online stores that deliver to Australia and the strong Aussie dollar is still on our side. In an endeavour to make life easier, here are some online destinations that can be shopped with your feet up and favourite refreshment in hand.
Included are a couple of local sites, but the selection focuses on the ones that are easy to use, won’t waste your time and of course the product selection is exceptional. I also hope you will enjoy visiting the sites too, as they are entertaining as well as insightful. In addition, we carried out a delivery road test to see who delivered as promised.
Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter
Net-a-Porter for women and Mr Porter for men. Focus is on fashion and accessories, but there are plenty of gift ideas for men and women who are tricky to buy for. Just go to the “gift finder” section of the websites and you will find a lovely assortment of wallets, watches, jewellery and more. Amazingly quick delivery too. Approximate delivery fee is GBP20.
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in four working days. Excellent packaging with luxurious black box and ribbon.
Lane Crawford
If you’ve been to Hong Kong, you might have been lucky enough to visit the amazing Lane Crawford department store. Its online site is gorgeous and it now delivers to Australia. They don’t deliver from the the “Home and Gift” section of the site, but there are lots of lovely accessories that make beautiful gifts. The fashion jewellery section in particular has some amazing pieces. $30USD for shipping.
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in two working days. Excellent packaging with gold box and brown ribbon
Shopbop
Great women’s fashion and accessory site at price points lower than the sites listed above. Gifts are not promoted, but if you type in the word ‘gift’ in the search bar, and look through all the categories on the left hand side, they actually have a great selection at good prices. The watch selection is terrific and suits most budgets. Best part – free international delivery.
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in five working days. Cute Shopbop packaging, although we paid a little extra for this.
Harrods
Really lovely site with all those classic British brands on offer. Perishables and certain cosmetic items won’t be delivered to Australia so sometimes you get to the checkout and some of your selections are refused. However, the Harrods own items and special collaborations are terrific. There is a 25GBP delivery fee.
The Iconic
Australian site which is not quite as lovely as those you will navigate above. However there’s a big upside – free overnight delivery. If you’re in Sydney, they can deliver on the same day. Mostly fashion and accessory items. If you need to buy for surly teenagers, they have plenty of printed tees and lots of tech accessories – perfect!
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in two working days. No special packaging.
Safari Living
Another local site from successful Melbourne homewares store Safari Living, who is best known for its Missoni range. Lots of gorgeous homewares and gift ideas. Have a look at their lovely glassware and jugs. There is a $15 delivery fee and promise to deliver between 5-7 days.
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in three working days. No special packaging.
Toys R Us
Toy store shopping can be hideous, especially when you’re past being patient with small children. The Toys R Us site is very easy to use and will suggest toys for children of various ages. Delivery fees vary on your order – but to deliver a scooter and a board game, they quoted $25.
Delivery Road Test: Delivered in four working days. No special packaging.
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