I need some help from my UK DIS friends please!

[pklein09]

I have a pen-friend who lives in Norfolk. We've been writing for close to 30 years, and I was in her wedding 16 years ago! I thought we had agreed last year to not send gifts for Christmas, but her card arrived last week with $50 cash!!! I'm amazed someone in the US postal service didn't lift it!

In any case, I'd like to send something to her family (her, DH, and DS 11), and I thought it would just be easier to order directly from a UK website. I tried Amazon UK, but their selection is terrible. My next stop was Harrods. Very nice merchandise, but out of my price range - which I expected, but I couldn't think of another UK company.

Do you have any suggestions? A hamper would be okay, or just a toy for her son.

Thank you very much!!!

--Michelle

 

[disney_princess_85]

Try Marks & Spencer. They have a large range of general gifts, including hampers and toys.

 

[pklein09]

Thank you! I couldn't remember Marks and Spencer. I could remember Boots, but I seem to remember that being a pharmacy-type store.

 

[Pinky166]

Hi Michelle,

You've come to the right place...lots of shopoholics on here!

Marks & Spencers have some nice hampers, some are quite expensive but they have a good range of prices (which includes delivery). http://www.marksandspencer.com/All-...VRH4S&pf_rd_p=470877813&pf_rd_s=global-top-10


John Lewis also have a variety of gifts, including hampers.
http://www.johnlewis.com/Christmas/Area.aspx

Hope these are of use to you.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Thank you! I couldn't remember Marks and Spencer. I could remember Boots, but I seem to remember that being a pharmacy-type store.

Boots might be worth a look too as they do a 3-for-2 promotion on all the Christmas gifts. It used to be just a pharmacy but it sells all sorts of stuff now.

Let us know how you get on!

 

[Pinky166]

There is always a lovely Christmas bouquet. http://www.interflora.co.uk/catalog/category.xml?category_name=christmas_flowers

ETA I just noticed they have some lovely hampers too.

 

[natalielongstaff]

you have had some good pointers, do let us know how you get on

 

[pklein09]

This has been fun!!!! I love looking through these websites....so many different items than here in the US. I've seen these 2 hampers from John Lewis:

http://www.johnlewis.com/230588172/Product.aspx

http://www.johnlewis.com/230588173/Product.aspx

I thought the entire family would enjoy the sweets, but I'm not familiar with the brand. Is this decent candy? For instance, I would buy Hershey chocolate over here, but not Palmer. Palmer is really low-grade chocolate, rather waxy.

I looked at the Marks & Spencer hampers, but they seemed pricey for what was included.

Please let me know what you think!

Many thanks!!!

--Michelle

 

[hogwartsdropout]

I would probably go for the second hamper, as it includes chocolate, not just Haribo candy, it's a much a better selection! Yes it is all decent well known candy.

 

[Pinky166]

Personally I would go with the 2nd one as it has more choice.

They are both very well known popular Candy brands over here.

 

[mandymouse]

Mmm, the 2nd hamper looks delish

 

[disney_princess_85]

I prefer the second one but they're both extremely expensive for what's included. To put it into perspective, a Curly Wurly costs 20p, a Milky Way costs 15p and Rolos cost around 50p. The majority of the hamper is made up of cheap pick-and-mix sweets.

If it's chocolate/sweets you're after, you might want to try Thornton's. They have some reasonably priced hampers.

 

[Pinky166]

I prefer the second one but they're both extremely expensive for what's included. To put it into perspective, a Curly Wurly costs 20p, a Milky Way costs 15p and Rolos cost around 50p. The majority of the hamper is made up of cheap pick-and-mix sweets.

If it's chocolate/sweets you're after, you might want to try Thornton's. They have some reasonably priced hampers.

I agree that Thorntons would be another good one to check but the hampers on John Lewis aren't cheap pick & mix?

The second one is mostly Haribo/Nestle/Rowntrees/Cadbury.....other than the Rosey Apples & Cola Cubes (which you can't buy branded anyway) everything else included is well known. The first one is purely Haribo so I don't get where your coming from?

 

[disney_princess_85]

The second one is mostly Haribo/Nestle/Rowntrees/Cadbury.....other than the Rosey Apples & Cola Cubes (which you can't buy branded anyway) everything else included is well known. The first one is purely Haribo so I don't get where your coming from?

I was referring to the second one rather than the first, it's full of flying saucers, jelly beans, cola bottles, Black Jacks etc. If you look at the contents, you don't get much of the branded stuff: 2 x Curly Wurly, one pack of Rolos etc. The hamper looks nice but I just don't think it's worth the £30.

 

[Pinky166]

I was referring to the second one rather than the first, it's full of flying saucers, jelly beans, cola bottles, Black Jacks etc. If you look at the contents, you don't get much of the branded stuff: 2 x Curly Wurly, one pack of Rolos etc. The hamper looks nice but I just don't think it's worth the £30.

I agree you are paying over the odds for the sweets but it comes in a nice picnic hamper so that adds to the cost.

The cola bottles, jelly beans etc are all Haribo so they are not the cheap nasty types you can get, that is what confused me.

 

[disney_princess_85]

I agree you are paying over the odds for the sweets but it comes in a nice picnic hamper so that adds to the cost.

Definitely, these things are always much more expensive than they should be. I was just considering how much less it would cost to buy a nice basket and a load of sweets and arrange it yourself. Obviously for Michelle, this is not an option as she lives in the US.

The cola bottles, jelly beans etc are all Haribo so they are not the cheap nasty types you can get, that is what confused me.

I wasn't trying to say it was cheap and nasty, just a bit overpriced. I think £20 would be a more suitable price.

Please let us know what you decide on Michelle!

 

[pklein09]

I personally think any gift basket is over priced for what you get; you pay for the convenience. I will go with the second basket....I thought it had a larger selection. I looked at Thorntons, and they had some very nice items as well. Actually, I'm wishing I could get some of those items here!! Your chocolate is so much better than American chocolate. And I love that it's labled for Christmas!!! Everyone over here is so politically correct about Christmas, it drives me nuts Call it what it is: Christmas! Okay, off my soap box now...

Thank you all for your help!!!!! I would have never found any of this without you!!!

--Michelle

 

[Pinky166]

I am glad we could help Michelle & I am sure they will love the Candy Hamper.

 

[pklein09]

Yeah!!! I just placed the order for the second hamper, and it was free shipping on anything over 30 pounds! It was odd, though, when they asked for the delivery address. They wanted they phone number, postal code, and the house number only. When I entered that, the rest of the address (street, city, county, etc) was filled in! Maybe they've ordered from there before?

Thanks again for all your help. I'm going to keep the info on this site for future Christmases.

Happy (early!) Christmas!!!

--Michelle

 

[darthtatty]

Yeah!!! I just placed the order for the second hamper, and it was free shipping on anything over 30 pounds! It was odd, though, when they asked for the delivery address. They wanted they phone number, postal code, and the house number only. When I entered that, the rest of the address (street, city, county, etc) was filled in! Maybe they've ordered from there before?

Thanks again for all your help. I'm going to keep the info on this site for future Christmases.

Happy (early!) Christmas!!!

--Michelle

A lot of companies automatically fill in the address in the uk using the postcode (zip code) they just need the number of the house.

glad you found something suitable.
have a wonderful christmas.xxx