Christmas presents you should never buy on the high street

by Robert Powell on 05 December 2011  |  15 comments
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Robert Powell takes a look at where you should be heading to get hold of the best online bargains this Christmas...

So it’s bricks versus clicks for yet another year. Yes, the annual tussle between the likes of Amazon and play.com and high street giants such as HMV and Waterstones is now in full swing. And it’s only going to accelerate as December plods on.

But which is really cheaper for Christmas shopping: online stores or high street shops?

Well, I took to the streets and noted down the prices of several popular DVDs, CDs, books, video games and electrical products that were adorning the shelves for this festive season and then compared them to the best possible deals I could find online.

The full results of my survey are logged in a table on this article, but here’s a roundup of some of the best bargains...

DVDs

Everyone needs a good post-Turkey DVD to fall asleep to on Christmas afternoon.

Looking at my list it does seem that the high street has started to slash prices since last year. However online shops are still undercutting stores, offering most new releases for less than a tenner.

Here are some of the best deals:

The biggest bargains can be found on TV box sets. Downton Abbey Series 2 is £24.99 on the high street and only £14.97 on Amazon. That’s a massive 40% saving.

Top tip: Sites like Amazon and play.com also offer top deals on pre-order discs. For example The Inbetweeners Movie – which is not released until December 12 – is only £10 on Amazon. The complete box set of David Attenborough’s epic series Frozen Planet is also only £21.97. It’s released on December 8.

CDs

Digital downloads may be dominating music sales nowadays, but for me, CDs are still a fundamental part of Christmas.

Here’s a rundown of some of most popular releases for this festive season:

You can snap up most new releases on the high street for less than a tenner a go. Pretty reasonable, however online stores are still cheaper, winning on price for every album I looked at in the survey.

Adele’s hit second album 21 is just £6.99 on play.com while Westlife’s Greatest Hits is £7.99 on CD Wow!

Top tip: If you are buying for a download addict, it might be worth getting hold of an iTunes voucher instead of a CD. That way they can choose exactly what they want! A further alternative is purchasing a subscription to the online music streaming service Spotify. These start at £9.99 for one month and stretch up to £119.88 for a full year.

Books

There are some good book deals to be had on the high street, with Waterstones chopping the price of most chart titles. However again, online shops still win hands down:

Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal’s latest cook books are all cheaper online than on the high street. You’ll also be able to save 50% on Julian Barnes’ Booker Prize winning novel The Sense of an Ending by heading online.

Top tip: Sales of Kindle e-books now outstrip regular printed sales. So if you’re fed up of lugging around weighty novels it may be time to go digital: Kindle prices start at £89.

Video games

Frugal deals on the high street for video games were few and far between, with most new X-Box and PS3 games stretching up to £42.99.

Thankfully, online prices were around 25% lower:

Gamestation really came up trumps for new release video games offering most titled for around £33 to £35.

Top tip: If you’re after an even bigger bargain keep your eyes peeled for pre-owned games. They’re available online through sites like Gameplay, Gamestation and Blockbuster and can be half the price of new discs.

Electrical goods

There are huge savings to be made when buying electrical goods online. Just remember to thoroughly check all of the return conditions and guarantees before you cough up the cash. Oh, and make sure you have a good stock of batteries ready for Christmas day!

Now, Pixmania has a raft of good camera deals. However a few readers commented last year that the site’s delivery was a little tardy and that some ordered items didn’t show up until after Christmas. If you’re worried about this, ensure you give the site a call before you place any order to check if the items are in stock and ready to be dispatched.

Top tip: Look out for overseas sites selling cut-price electrical gear. In my book, ordering cheap items from abroad is a good way of saving a few pounds. But when it comes to pricey electrical goods, I’d rather have the peace of mind of dealing with a domestic company.

Beauty products

Beauty products may not be an obvious choice for online shopping, but there are still bargains to be had...

Top tip: Online beauty shops are great if you know which particular aftershave, perfume or make up you’re after. But even if you don’t, there’s nothing stopping you sussing out your favourites scent on the high street and then buying online for cheap.

And one final point: remember to check the last posting dates before you place any orders. Most sites have a final date around 15-20 December. However if you order at the last minute, you may have to shell out a touch more to guarantee you get your gift in time for the big day.

Happy shopping!

All prices are correct as of 30 November 2011.

More: High street stores vs. online shops | Avoid these Christmas shopping blunders