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Christmas comes early

THE World Cup may still be a very recent – and unpleasant – memory and 2010 may still have a few days of sunshine ahead, but it’s already time to get into the Christmas spirit.

For with 144 days still to go until Christmas, Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street has unveiled its range of festive decorations and trees and sale prices.

The lower ground-floor of the shop has been transformed into Santa’s grotto as customers ignore the sunshine outside to browse among glittering trees and sparkling decorations to the strains of Christmas carols and festive pop hits.

This year’s Christmas range includes fake pre-lit trees, costing between £100 and £1,500, while last year’s bestsellers - Union Jack baubles, handblown in the Czech Republic - were once again proving popular at £8.95 each. Giant Christmas stockings and novelty socks were also attracting plenty of interest at £14.95 each.

Selfridges Christmas buyer Geraldine James said the department store had launched the collection earlier than ever before to cash in on the tourist market as well as businesses ordering decorations for seasonal events.

She told the Telegraph: “I’m sure it’s very early for some people to be thinking about Christmas, but we are just responding to public demand.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .