One TikTok user who worked in retail for more than 10 years has told people the exact time they should buy three Christmas essentials before they sell out
A woman who worked in retail for 10 years has shared exactly when you should get Christmas essentials before they sell out.
We have all been there and have waited until the last minute to pick up an advent calendar when all that is left is an expensive premium chocolate choice or a random one containing jam or flower seeds. One TikTok user, @ashleighloveschristmas, is on a mission to stop others making similar mistakes by sharing exactly when people should pick up their Christmas essentials in order to get the best deal and save money.
Ashleigh, who has worked in retail for more than 10 years, knows exactly how chain stores work and has seen first hand what sort of predicaments people get themselves into during the festive season.
She has pulled together three items that you should buy for Christmas in November, in order to make sure you have exactly what you want.
She said: “Here are three things that you need to buy before Christmas, before they sell out from somebody who worked in retail for over 10 years.
“Christmas jumpers, Christmas Jumper Day for the UK is Thursday, December 11, for Save the Children. When I used to work in retail you get the original influx of Christmas Jumpers, they start coming in from September to October, they stay up in the warehouse.
“You then bring it down 1st November right after Halloween ready to go out onto the shop floor and they get styled and merchandised.
“If there is a Christmas jumper your child likes, that you like, get it there and then. They will normally have a 25% off Christmas jumpers before December so you may wait for that.
“You can also ask the guys in store when that’s going to happen. But typically speaking you need to get the jumper then.”
Ashleigh also encouraged people to buy advent calendars as soon as you see them in store from November onwards.
She said: “You see the advent calendars, they’re there, then right before December 1, they go – they absolutely go.
“You end up with ones that are either really niche and like £15/£20/£25 or the Lindt one that’s really expensive that no one buys until after Christmas.
“So if you want your bog standard, Cadburys, Galaxy, get them when you see them. It’s best to just avoid disappointment.
“I used to have so many parents, normally dad’s just saying, turning up on December 1 ‘have you got any advent calendars’.”
The final item to get early is batteries, due to there being more affordable options available in November.
Ashleigh said: “Do not forget to buy batteries. It’s not that they sell out it’s that the original brand so if you’re in ASDA for example the ASDA batteries, the Tesco batteries – they’re way more affordable and way cheaper.
“Get them when you see them because what will happen is they then put up Duracell stands, because Duracell will pay for a spot in the store.
“You end up paying £10 for batteries because you can only find the Duracell stand. Get the batteries early.”
People were thrilled with Ashleigh’s advice and rushed to the comments to thank her.
One user said: “Batteries is such a good shout. I always forget.”
Another added: “Thank you ! This is great reminder as I’m just hopeless with remembering things!”
The third penned: “Bought my kids advent calendars today because I always leave it to last minute and panic.”
