To help busy shoppers this Christmas, the Amazon Fresh stores have launched a free Gift Wrap Grotto, designed to get footfall into their Wembley and Sevenoaks stores.
‘The Gift Wrapping Queen’ Jane Means and her team will be available in the Gift Wrap Grotto from noon until 8pm on the 12-13th of December at Amazon Fresh Wembley and on the 19-20th of December at Amazon Fresh Sevenoaks to wrap customers’ presents. To make Christmas shopping even easier, gifts can be ordered from Amazon.co.uk and delivered via click-and-collect to the Amazon Hub Pickup & Returns counter in the store.
The launch follows research by the Amazon that revealed on average, the nation will spend 324 hours wrapping 1,882 Christmas presents across their lifetime.
The Gift Wrap Grotto will be opened by ‘The Gift Wrapping Queen’ Jane Means and her team of professionals, ready to transform the most fiddly presents into parcels to be proud of.
The research shows that shoppers are looking for tips and tricks to take them from a wrapping rookie to a present pro. We’re looking forward to sharing some insider expertise at the Amazon Fresh Gift Wrap Grotto.
Jane Means, Gift Wrapping Queen
The research further revealed that 39 percent of people struggle to wrap unusually shaped objects, with the least favourite objects to wrap being:
- Awkwardly shaped toys (50 percent)
- Round and soft objects such as footballs (32 percent)
- Teddy bears (30 percent)
- Musical instruments like guitars (24 percent)
- Wine bottles (23 percent)
- Mugs (22 percent)
- Festive shaped chocolates (20 percent)
Also on the list of seasonal pet peeves is always losing the end of the sellotape (34 percent), constantly misjudging how much paper is needed (27 percent), and knowing the wrap will be ripped off and discarded in seconds (26 percent). The research also revealed 45 percent of Brits leave their Christmas shopping until the week before the big day, leaving even less time to make gifts look presentable.
Despite this, we are a nation of gift wrapping fans:
- Almost four in ten (37 percent) secretly envy people who always wrap their gifts perfectly
- One in four (24 percent) appreciate a present more if it is well wrapped
- Four in ten (42 percent) confident wrappers say they have managed to disguise a present by wrapping it into a different shape
- More than a quarter (28 percent) even wrap presents for their pets
- And an organised third (32 percent) say they have everything wrapped and ready to go by Christmas Eve
The research of 2,000 Britons also uncovered five distinct types of Christmas gift wrappers:
- The most common type of wrapper is the ‘Sticky Slicker’ (27 percent) who simply uses loads of sellotape
- ‘The Trier’ (25 percent) whose presents don’t look great whatever they do
- Minimalists’ (22 percent) opt to use plain wrapping paper and string
- The ‘Perfectionists’ (21 percent) are able to use exactly the right amount of paper per gift.
- ‘Maximalists’ (14 percent) over-decorate gifts with lots of ribbons and bows
- And Eco Warriors’ (13 percent) keep all the wrapping paraphernalia to use again.
The research also reveals the nation’s best present wrapping advice to make the festive season that little bit easier:
- 28 percent will ease the repetition of wrapping by watching a Christmas TV special or film while they do it
- 24 percent use a separate room to ensure they won’t be interrupted by family members looking to sneak a peek at the presents
- 22 percent enlist the help of family, friends and/or their partner
- 14 percent enjoy a festive glass of mulled wine and mince pie as part of the evening wrapping session
