Christmas is a stressful time of year. We’ve all had a Christmas where it ended in tears because the food wasn’t right or a present broke right out of the box. Unfortunately most companies can’t be relied upon. Revenues and profits are the main consideration. After the sale has been made most brands will consider the relationship with the customer over. But there is a small minority of companies who buck this trend and put the customer experience above all else. Brands which can be relied upon at this important time of year. So here is Frosts independent guide to the brands we believe can be trusted for a stress free Christmas
Top Electronic Brand – Apple
No one was ever disappointed to get any Apple product for a present. You can also almost guarantee it will work right out of the box with minimal stress and frustration and provide an amazing Christmas experience. If on the off chance something does go wrong, Apple is excellent at sorting out any problems you have. The company prides itself on the ‘user experience’ and this definitely comes across. The company’s products are always a joy to use. Of course the downside is the cost which can be exorbitant. However this year you can get an iPad mini for £219 from John Lewis (another one of our top ten brands) http://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/ipad-tablet-pcs/apple-ipad-mini/ipad-mini/c8000030510
It’s an incredible product and experience but the mini is still by no means cheap. For a cheaper alternative why not try these amazing Bluetooth headphones we reviewed earlier this year. https://www.frostmagazine.com/2013/10/groovez-bths800-bluetooth-headphones-by-stk/
Available from Amazon for £36.71
Top Online Shopping Brand – Amazon
The online shopping giant has always been reliable and easy to use. Although its not as relatively cheap to the highstreet and other online competitors as it was a few years ago, it’s still unbeaten for choice and reliability.Amazon has always prided its users and has always put there experience before profits. In fact the company still barely makes a profit despite turning over hundreds of billions of dollars every year. If you buy from Amazon you can be fairly sure your items will arrive quickly and as described. And if by any chance anything does go wrong in our experience Amazon has always issued a refund. This is definitely a company which takes some of the stress out of Christmas. In second place is notonthehighstreet.com which offers products from small boutique companies. There’s a really nice feel to the website and it can be a great place to find a personal gift at a reasonable price.
Also check out shuffle hub a great new way to shop online. Shuffle Hub scans major websites and randomly shows you a small selection of products. If you don’t like what you see you can just hit the shuffle button. You can filter it by gender, cost, item type etc Definitely worth a look. We love it.
Top Supermarket – Sainsbury’s
Of the major supermarkets Sainsbury’s is the one we are trusting with our Christmas this year. The supermarket has been getting better and better recently. The produce and suppliers can be trusted and the food in our experience is of better quality than most peers.
The experience in the stores is warm and even the infernal self scanners are better than in most competitors. The staff are all friendly and seem to be enjoying their jobs. By contrast I think Tesco has really taken its eye off the ball recently. Both price and quality are not as good as they once were and shopping in the store is stressful. A close second in the top supermarket department is Morrisons who offer some great Christmas produce. https://www.frostmagazine.com/2012/11/morrisons-christmas-showcase-event-what-food-to-buy-for-christmas/
Top Highstreet Retailer – John Lewis
John Lewis is as reliable as they come. The company has always put a tremendous focus on looking after customers. Shopping in the stores has always been easy and there are loads of good ideas for Christmas presents. On some items you will pay more but if your clever you can often avoid this. Remember John Lewis has a policy of never knowingly being undersold. It’s worth using for the same items you might have bought from another store anyway (like the iPad mini above) because of the great customer after care.
Top Jeweler – Pandora
We’ve visited Pandora’s new flag ship store on Oxford Street and it was a great experience. The company is best known for its charm bracelets. You buy a bracelet and then add to it throughout the year on memorable occasions. It’s a great present to give wives and girlfriends. It’s personal, its jewelry and its fun. Better still it takes the stress out of buying presents in the future since you can just keep adding more charms. The company has a great range of products which it is constantly updating and prices vary. The products are well made and in our experience can be trusted.
Top Chocolate – Divine
Chocolate is an important indulgence at Christmas. Ditch the multi national brands and go for Divine chocolate. In our opinion there chocolate is more intense and simply better than the majority of their rivals. They offer a big range of products from hot chocolate to mini thins. All tastes great.
Top Drink – Disaronno
We at Frost can’t get enough of this delicious Amaretto. We love it and in our experience there aren’t many who don’t. Definitely worth having some around for Christmas. Here’s our Disaronno cocktail guide.
https://www.frostmagazine.com/2013/04/disaronno-cocktail-recipes-and-drink-review/
Top Whiskey – Chivas Regal
We have been given our fair share of Chivas over the years, their 21 Year Old Royal Salute being a particular favourite.
Top Clothing Brand – Burberry
They are as far way from the tarnishing of their image when their unique and patented (though possibly not for long) plaid became synonymous with chavs and every market stall was selling a knocked-off version than it is possible to be. In the past few years they have had the best of Britain fronting their ad campaigns and their clothes have left all negative stereotypes behind. Like a phoenix from the ashes, Burberry rises again and become our top clothing brand of the year, Sienna Miller fronts their ‘kisses’ marketing activity for Autumn/Winter with fiancee/baby daddy Tom Sturridge.
Top TV Shopping – QVC
QVC has to win for this. They have grown enormously in the past few years and now everyone has got in on the act. They even have top designers and personalities designing for them. Giles Deacon recently did a jewelery range for them and they sell the most beautiful Lulu Guinness bags. You can also buy everything you want from QVC on their excellent website. From beauty products, home decor and fashion: QVC has it all.
When the sun comes out, we Brits love making the most out of outdoor summer indulgences, whether it’s baking up treats ready for picnics or laying on a spread for celebratory street parties. And as a chocolate-loving nation, combining the heat with the sweet is always going to be a winner.
