Should you still be facing the nightmare scenario of having to do a significant portion of your Christmas gift buying this week – despite intending otherwise – you'll probably be pretty cheered to know that the ever-reliable White Stuff are genuinely trying to make 'the slog' more than a little bearable!
Their shops are serving free mulled wine and mince pies, there are festive films showing in the cinema rooms of the York, Belfast and Nottingham branches, and plenty of their locations have such thoughtful touches as a den for kids, festive dressing up boxes or a Christmas grotto, all of which adds up to a more stress-free experience – for the little ones, you and your dog (no, really!)...
We've often thought that White Stuff go about things the right way. In addition to having a really wide range of clothing and accessories, which are definitely a cut above the high street norm, each of their 114 branches in the UK have unique interiors, sourced from car boot sales, charity shops and flea markets, often with a local flavour.
For instance, the new store on Edinburgh's George Street makes a feature of the remaining parts of the building's original Georgian interior, which was uncovered during the renovation. The Cardiff shop, as befits its status as the home of Doctor Who, has a Tardis. Meanwhile, while the Tenterden branch celebrates the agricultural heritage of Kent, in the form of a mini oast house!
Add in that fact that each branch supports a local charity (more info here) and it gets our vote as a most worthwhile destination when it comes to actually getting to the point where you can properly start to slow down and enjoy Christmas – which, after all, is the spirit of the festive season!
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