Christmas Shopping in Spain | Marbella

Christmas Shopping Abroad

Another casualty of the recession is that the trend for Christmas shopping trips to cutesy European Christmas markets and extravagent trips across the Atlantic has dwindled. The fairy tales settings of Christmas markets in Europe are sweet but offer little different to the markets held in the UK and with the appalling exchange rate the idea of visiting New York for Christmas shopping is unlikely.

This year reportds have been that a greater number of travellers are taking advantage of cheap holiday packages to Spain where they can combine the winter sunshine with their seasonal shopping requirements.

Cheap flights to Malaga and lots of bargains for package holidays on the Costa del Sol are being taken advantage of by those who are able to get away during the weeks before Christmas.

Huge weekly markets in Fuengirola and elsewhere offer cheap novelty gifts and with an excellent public transport system serving the coast to malaga it's easy to get lots of gift ideas without the fuss of driving for miles and or shivering in the freezing cold winds of northern Europe.

Glitzy Marbella

For those in search of more glamourous gifts Marbella is a shoppers paradise.

If you are prepared to make the short drive along the Motorway from the cheaper Costa del Sol resorts - check out the low season deals for car hire marbella - the boutiques and fashion super stores of marbella are open late throughout December for your shopping pleasure.

News that Marks & Spencer are joining othe international stores to add to the international variety has been welcomed by the local press. As one reporter noted:

With this new super sized M&S locals and holidaymakers alike will be in shopping heaven

Other shops of note in Marbella are listed here so think about a finding a cheap package holiday to the Costa Del Sol and do your Christmas shopping in the sun this year.

Charity Shops - Charity Gifts and Christmas Cards

One of my obsessions is the objectionable way that some charity shops are run.

There's something very fishy in the charity shop model. Indeed, it is even the case that a charity shop is only required ot hand over 15% of its turnover to charity. Hence the vast proliferation of charity shops on the high street.

Charity Gifts

Where are the profits going? 'Area managers', company cars, huge middle-management wages, re-shop fittings and the like - charity gifts - for those in most need?

In the past week charity shops UK has had a refit. Every three years, as routine, wether it's needed or not, which has necessitated every single one of them being closed for a week..

Our local Charity Shop was beatifully laid out and excellently run. Its refit has left it exactly the same as before except for a new laminate floor.

Charity Christmas Cards

I am deeply suspicious of charity shops. And such as the Christmas charity cards, who only return 5p in the pound to the charities. Talk about a scam! What a fabulous marketing idea - 'we're a charity supporting mental health, or the homeless, or people in Africa or whatever' - which brings people eager to help flooding into the shops. And yet they give a tiny proportion of the income from charity Christmas cards to the charity in question.

Are charity shops just big business with a fabulous business model: free stock, great image, perfect marketing angle - and unfettered capitalism behind the scenes?