Still Shopping? Luxury Items and Last-Minute Gifts

Dec. 23, 2006 — -- Can't think of the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop for person in your life? Getting worried that you've waited too long before hitting the stores?

While it is too late to order online and have gifts delivered before Christmas, there is still time to get out and buy some great gifts for friends and loved ones.

If you're a procrastinator, you're not alone. Consumers still tend to wait until the last minute to go out and do their holiday shopping, and this year has been no different.

As of this Monday, 33 million shoppers (about 15.4 percent) admitted they hadn't even started their holiday shopping, according to a the National Retail Federation's 2006 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch; 23 million (10.8 percent) said they had finished.

Department Stores

This weekend will be a big one for department stores, who often count on those last-minute shoppers for their total holiday sales figures. Some department stores are trying to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to run in and find what they want.

At Saks Fifth Avenue, box sets of clothing and accessories are big holiday gifts this year -- and they're pre-selected by Saks fashion experts. For men, you can buy a set of cufflinks, a pocket handkerchief, and tie that go together; for women, there are box sets of cosmetics with gifts like body lotions and fragrances.

If you have time to look through the racks at Saks, there are pre-selected shirt and silk tie combos, like those from Holliday & Brown (retails for $140), and even pre-packaged undergarment sets, like the "Joy To Couture Boyshort Set" from Juicy Couture (retails for $58.)

"Pre-selected combinations are great," said Andrée Corroon, Vice President of Communications at Saks. "You come in, look, and boom, there it is."

Luxury Gifts

Luxury items including cars, flat screen TVs and couture clothing are among the trends this holiday season.

If money is no object, there is no shortage of out-of-this-world gifts -- literally. Neiman Marcus has pushed the envelope for their catalog this year by offering a trip to outer space. For just $1.7 million, Neiman will get you on a charter from Virgin Galatic, owned by Sir Richard Branson, who says private space travel will begin as soon as 2009.

If you'd rather keep your feet on the ground, you can get the lady in your life an Hermès Birkin Bag, made in a variety of colors and skins, for around $18,000. From Nordstrom, you can pick up Dolce & Gabbana's leopard trench for $3,495; Lutz and Patmos' crème cashmere tunic with a double-wrap belt for $625 is the hot item at Barney's.

If those items are out of your budget, Ralph Lauren's cashmere cable-knit sweaters for $200 are always in style.

"Our cashmere program is amazing and flying off the shelves," Corroon said.

Quick Fix?

Perhaps the easiest choice if you don't know what to buy is a gift card. The National Retail Federation says gift card sales will total $24.81 billion this holiday season, an increase of $6 billion from 2005's holiday season.

Gift cards are now available almost everywhere, from clothing and electronic stores, to spas and restaurants. Gift cards have been increasingly popular because it takes some of the guess work away from the consumer.

Some gift cards expire after several years, and some decrease in value if you don't use them quickly enough. Gift card users should check with the individual store for their policy.