Festive rush starts here!

Nov 30 2009 By Anuji Varma

IT’S one of the West Midlands’ busiest department stores, stocking more than 350,000 products and serving thousands of customers every week.

And Christmas is no exception for John Lewis in Solihull.

So just what happens at a huge department store when it’s gearing up for December 25?

More than 11,000 cages packed with over a million items of stock, will come through the store over the festive period, while about 1,000 metres of wrapping paper, enough to cover the length of nearly 50 cricket pitches, will be used by the gift wrap team.

Operations manager Lucy Ramseyer said: “The best sellers this year are toys and gadgets.

“There are a lot of people after the latest iPod, TVs, cameras and video cameras. Satnavs are also a favourite, as they’re great gifts that can be used either in your car, or while walking around. Shoppers also seem to be treating themselves. They see something they want to give as a gift, but they quite fancy it themselves too.

“This is something we have seen a lot of this year.

“This is particularly prevalent in the beauty department. Our Chanel counter is up 35 per cent from last year.

“There are also a great deal of sales in the Christmas decorations department.

“One thing we are finding, however, is that people are coming in nearer December 25, rather than at the beginning of the month, when decorations traditionally go up.

“Some are left disappointed because we usually sell out quite quickly.”

And this year’s themes appear to go from one extreme to another – either traditional red and gold on a green tree, or glamorous black and gold on a black tree.

The upside-down tree is once again proving popular too, with John Lewis already reporting quite a few sales of the £80 decoration.

“It saves an incredibly amount of space, as well as looking very different,” says spokeswoman Shani Ellis.

“The tree is also reversible, so if you want to have your tree in the normal position the following year, you can.”

As well as beauty, gadgets and Christmas decorations, toys are also on the present hotlist for most people.

And that’s where Andrew Dean comes in. He manages the toy department, as well as menswear, travel goods, and sports too.

“Trading for the department has been very, very good so far,” said Andrew.

“The loss of one of our major competitors, Woolworths, has helped.

“Not only do we stock high-end toys, but there are also the smaller products too.

“We are finding there are a lot of people coming in for the cheaper items. And this is bringing in a different kind of customer who may not have shopped with us before.”

Department stores seem to be offering more and more choice when it comes to childrens’ products and as well as variety there’s also the good service too.

At John Lewis staff will do their best to help customers to find the right toy, but Andrew said there was a recurring problem.

“Sometimes people have only a vague description of the product they are after, so we do advise them to come armed with lots of information. We need to know as much as possible about what it is the shopper wants.”

But his ultimate top tip when buying toys is simple: “Buy now. Don’t wait until the last minute as it will probably have sold out.

“Toys have a habit of going very quickly, especially when it’s that must-have item.

“If you know what it is you want, then start shopping early.”

This is only too apparent with the latest craze – the Go-Go Hamster.

Priced just £9.99, it’s proving to be such a hit that it’s sold out everywhere. “We can’t get more, because the supplier doesn’t have any,” Andrew explained.

The only chance is the internet. But there are other toys on offer at John Lewis.

Here are Andrew’s top three toys this year, all available at John Lewis and other big sellers.

1. Maxi-Micro Scooter, £46.95:

The scooter comes in different sizes for younger and older children. There’s also a selection of colours.

The price makes it an affordable present which was first in stock last year. “Not only is it a great Christmas present, but it is also a seller all year round.

“The children love the product because they can use it all the time,” says Andrew. “There’s no danger of it selling out either as there are enough in stock to see us through the next year.”

2. Biscuit the Dog, £99.95:

It may be a bit pricey, but the mechanical animal is picking up quite a few sales among family buyers.

It not only attracts the youngster, but also the parent.

“The dog reacts to certain words, so if you tell it to sit, it obeys.

“There are also other commands Biscuit understands.

“It also performs various whimpering and barking noises.

“We sold quite a few at the weekend,” Andrew explains. “We first had Biscuit last year and there’s been a rise in sales this year. I believe it’s this year’s next biggest toy.”

3. Lego games, from £7.95 to £25:

Lego have again come up trumps with these specially created games.

They are great value for money too, which makes them the perfect as a stocking filler or main present.

Andrew said Lego was always a favourite gift and this Christmas would be no different. He said: “The company always comes up with a good range and this is their newest.

“Already we are selling out quite quickly, so adults need to get shopping for them now before they sell out.”