A guide to reducing shopping stress without leaving the city

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by Paul Merrigan
This Week Staff

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With less than a month until Christmas, many people are trying to finish their Christmas shopping, while others are just getting started. Both groups will be crowding the stores more and more with each passing day now trying to find that perfect gift for a friend or loved one.

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Stacey Merrigan/This Week

A display of nativity scenes at Gifts Galore.

Stacey Merrigan/This Week

"It's not as hard as you think to find that unique gift for someone in this day and age," says Stephen Clerke, who co-owns Gifts Galore with his wife, Joanne Jarvis. "Almost everybody collects something or enjoys receiving a gift that is unique or different."

Whether your list has five people or 50 people, it seems as though shopping is never as easy as we want it to be.

"Everybody has what I call a pickle on their list, someone that is a little bit difficult and who always gets saved for last," explains Stephen. "It helps to know where the person's interest lies. Almost always if you think about the personality of someone you can pinpoint something that they like and come up with a suitable gift."

As with most years, local merchants have noticed some trends developing as Christmas nears.

"People are looking for gifts that are simpler, but also more personal," says Shawna Gagne, owner of Sandstone Gallery. "They also seem to be interested in things that are going with home decor more than personality."

Another trend this year seems to surround the type of Christmas related decorations that shoppers are choosing.

"This year I've found people are really going back to the old fashioned Christmas," says Stephen. "People are loving angels and we're selling more nativity scenes than we've ever sold before. People are going back to the basics of Christmas, looking for old-fashioned Santas rather than modern, things like that."

Of course money can also be tight during this time of year and that also affects what people are looking for and where they are looking.

"There seems to be a lot more of making your own gifts because people are financially conscious but they're also looking for gifts that mean more, that are more personal," says Shawna. "For people that really can't make their own things or don't have time to do it, they're looking for those things that have a homemade or personal feel to them."

One of the most stressful things that people find about Christmas shopping is the sheer volume of people that are crowding the malls and larger stores.

"Smaller stores don't have the crowds like the mall, so it's quite a bit more peaceful," says Shawna. "It's a more enjoyable environment and if you're getting stressed, you're missing out on the spirit of Christmas. People need to take a moment and step back and re-evaluate what they really want Christmas to be all about."

It's a sentiment that is shared by Stephen as well.

"Smaller stores can offer a lot of advantages, but the biggest one is the quality of service you get," he says. "Here, for example, we have hot apple cider on all day, so you can have a nice glass of cider while you're browsing. Christmas shopping should be stress free and people sometimes forget that."

Often lost in the hustle and bustle of looking for the perfect gift is that sometimes the perfect gift doesn't come wrapped up in ribbons and bows.

"For that really difficult person on your list, maybe a gift isn't what they need," explains Shawna. "Maybe you just need to take them out for coffee or for dinner. Maybe they would enjoy a night of babysitting so they can go out with their spouse. Think outside the box. It's not about how much a gift costs, it's the thought behind it "

Finally, there are some basic things to remember if you are going to take the plunge and head out to get those last minute hidden gems amongst the chaos.

"Put yourself in that frame of mind that it's going to be crazy out there," laughs Shawna. "Plan for more time than you need and just try to relax. Eat a good breakfast before you get out there and take an entire day to go and find these things.

"If you don't find them, that's okay too. Maybe you weren't intended to get that gift. You might never find the perfect gift, but you can still find something that has a lot of meaning."