A lump of coal for Christmas shoppers?

Santa may be able to deliver all the world’s presents in one night but for the rest of us, delivery may be less than smooth over the holiday period. Shopping online for presents will potentially be a gamble over the next week, as the end to the recent mild weather is just around the corner. Delivery companies across England have suggested that the British public should be wary when ordering online.


Experts have predicted that the arctic blast is on course to return abruptly this Thursday. Neil Saunders, of shopping analysts Verdict, said: ‘If we see the same sort of thing over the next couple of weeks that could be quite disastrous for retailers because consumers are running out of time to buy things.’

Scotland has faced the worst of the recent icy conditions, with their transport industry taking a big blow during the recent weeks. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, Boots and Asda have all told their customer’s that they will no longer be delivering non-food items to Scotland and some parts of Northern England.

The winter weather is also creating a stir amongst bookies as to whether we will see a white Christmas, with odds falling across the UK. Jonathan Powell of Positive Weather Solutions likes his chances. He said: “It’s going to happen. Our models are showing we will see a white Christmas. The most likely places to have one are Scotland, north-east England, the east coast, the south-east and London.”