MAKING CENTS: Weighing up online over the high-street option

With a little less than two months to go until Christmas it’s time to get organised about shopping for the big items for the big day, writes Gráinne McGuinness

We’ve already talked about getting sorted for food and drink but a large part of your budget will go on presents.

The question about whether to buy on the high street or the internet is one that shoppers wrestle with every year. We hear so much about the bargains to be had online that it’s very easy to think that customers are mad to hit the shops.

But a bit of research shows that isn’t necessarily the case. Yes, some items may appear cheaper when you first have a browse but online shopping carries additional costs that the high street does not. Be sure and check the shipping costs when pricing items online and also be aware that there may be additional customs charges added when items reach Ireland.

That said, the drop in sterling against the euro means that there may be value to be had when purchasing from British retailers in particular.

If you are purchasing a big ticket item like a computer console or laptop it is worth taking the time to do a bit of investigating first.

I highly recommend the Pricespy app to take the hard work out of price comparisons. Simply select the product you are interested in and Pricespy will let you know how much it is on sale for across a range of Irish retailers.

A quick look at the Apple Macbook Pro on Pricespy this week told me that it was on sale in Ireland for prices ranging from €1136.52 to €1499.99, a difference of more than €360.

You can also change region to check the prices for the same item in Britain to see if it is worth your while purchasing from there.

The other thing to bear in mind when buying online is the aftersales service. If you buy an item instore you have the peace of mind of knowing exactly where to go if you have any issues down the road.

Many of the large online retailers also have good customer service but be wary of unfamiliar sites. Check for reviews of how they have dealt with previous complaints to get an idea of their service.

When buying online (or ordering something to be delivered in store) be sure to also check delivery times. Most retailers will clearly say when is the latest you can order to guarantee delivery by Christmas. Don’t chance it beyond then and ideally build in an extra cushion, you don’t want to spend the week before Christmas crossing your fingers and calling the post office.

If you know already that your preference is to shop on the high street, then plan your trip carefully. Many of the big department stores will run short-term sales over the next few weekends, we already saw some over the bank holiday weekend.

Keep an eye on the websites of big retailers like Debenhams, Smyths, Argos and others. Whether it’s an across the board sale or just in one area, an extra 20%-25% off a few of your big-ticket items will make a difference to your overall budget.

In particular, it may be worth waiting until the end of this month to see what value is to be had on Black Friday, which this year is on November 25.

This American tradition of a huge sale the day after Thanksgiving has caught on here and in the UK in a big way in recent years. Last year nearly all the retailers had excellent deals on a couple of popular items like TVs and game consoles.

The drawback is that in many cases the offers are limited in number. Maybe make a long weekend of it and take the day off if you want to be sure of getting your hands on a bargain!

Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday on November 28, when the online retailers push their own deals. It is nice to get your list ticked off early but in this case it probably pays to hold your nerve and wait to see the offers available.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

One item that will be appearing on many Christmas lists this year is Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the highly anticipated new edition of the bestselling computer game. It will be available on a number of formats, with the Sony PS4 one of the most popular.

Gamers are eager to get their hands on the latest edition, which promises to take Call of Duty back to its roots featuring combat across three game modes - campaign, multiplayer and zombies.

The 18+ game is being released in Ireland on Friday November 4 and is currently available to preorder from a number of retailers. The PS4 price varies widely, with the basic game costing as much as €75 and some special editions on sale for more than €100.

A quick check on Pricespy suggests shoppers head to www.littlewoodsireland.ie where the basic game can be preordered for just €60.