[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text module_class=”header-yellow-bg” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Adamina|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”46px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-post-title-v2″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”46px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/HIGH-RES-ANYAS-Grotto_2.jpg” title_text=”HIGH RES ANYAS Grotto_2″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
FOR MANY, THE<\/strong> first advent calendar sighting sparks nothing but joy. For others, a festive dread. But whatever your feelings, you\u2019ll no doubt have noticed that Christmas, in all its gaudy grandeur, is well underway. And, at the risk of sounding like your grandmother \u2013 gosh! Doesn\u2019t it start earlier every year?<\/p>\n Well yes, actually, it does. High-street favourite John Lewis & Partners opened its online Christmas shop on 31 August and, despite early predictions that the nation would spend less on Christmas in 2023, has already seen a 25% increase on festive purchases compared to this time last year. Thanks to rising costs of basically everything, the need to spread out those yuletide bills has made for a much earlier kick-off on Christmas for some.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/GROTTO-DETAIL-2.jpg” title_text=”GROTTO DETAIL 2″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n We\u2019re also thinking more carefully about our festive fodder. Gone are the days of nipping out to pick up the usual bits \u2019n\u2019 bobs \u2013 a few shelves of baubles and tired tinsel no longer cut the proverbial mustard. Instead, stores are creating full-blown immersive experiences, transforming whole floors into Santa\u2019s grottos for months at a time.<\/p>\n \u2018Our Christmas shops will transport customers to a magical place of festive wonder, bursting full of decorating inspiration and gifting ideas,\u2019 says Lisa Cherry, Christmas buyer at John Lewis & Partners. \u2018The buying and design teams have collaborated to develop six unique and distinct Christmas themes, and we\u2019re introducing Christmas tree workshops in-store to help guide and inspire.\u2019<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the queen of reinventing retail Anya Hindmarch has launched her festively fabulous pop-up grotto \u2013 located on London\u2019s Pont Street, where she fits out her spaces according to consumer demands across the season. \u2018We will have expeditions with Father Christmas to find his cottage through candy cane forests for the little ones, lots of seasonal treats in the Anya Caf\u00e9 next door and a new Wreath Hut for 2023,\u2019 explains Hindmarch. \u2018It\u2019s all-out festive this year!\u2019<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just Anya\u2019s grotto that\u2019s backing the wreath as this year\u2019s festive must-have. Searches for \u2018Christmas wreath making\u2019 are up 800% on Google, while, back at John Lewis & Partners, not only are wreath sales already up 107%, the brand has also tipped a set of enormous outdoor inflatable baubles to be its best-selling item.<\/p>\n So, from giant shiny balls to Anya Hindmarch\u2019s smiley faced mince pies \u2013 it\u2019s time to put the Advocaat on ice and stock up on Twiglets because, whether you like it or not, Christmas actually is getting earlier each year. And if you can\u2019t beat \u2019em\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/Untitled-2-1.jpg” title_text=”Untitled-2″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-gallery-caption” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Akshar|600|||||||” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n From top: wreath, \u00a336, PRI PRI AT SOCIAL SUPERMARKET<\/strong> \/ inflatable baubles, \u00a335, HOLIBALL AT JOHNLEWIS.COM<\/strong> \/ bauble, \u00a314.95, LIBERTY \/ bauble, \u00a335, ANYA HINDMARCH<\/strong> \/ crackers, \u00a365, FORTNUM & MASON<\/strong> \/ stocking, \u00a314, KURT ADLER AT SELFRIDGES.COM<\/strong>\/ garland, \u00a315, MARKS & SPENCER<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n WORDS AND SHOPPING:<\/strong> JULIA HARVEY<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 8Ding Dong Merrily On High (Street)FOR MANY, THE first advent calendar sighting sparks nothing but joy. For others, a festive dread. But whatever your feelings, you\u2019ll no doubt have noticed that Christmas, in all its gaudy grandeur, is well underway. And, at the risk of sounding like your grandmother \u2013 gosh! Doesn\u2019t it start earlier […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-10-hot-stories"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"akindell","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1719"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1722,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1719\/revisions\/1722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}