Christmas Shopping Reimagined

At first, it’s a kind of wide-eyed wonder. You didn’t know shops like this existed anymore.

It’s not just the beautifully presented bicycles and merchandise – glistening and beckoning under artful lighting. Or the Christmas decorations. Or the sweep of that Victorian staircase. Breathtaking! It’s much more than that. It’s colours, textures and design in perfect harmony. A complete visual symphony.

Then the full-sensory rush begins. One-by-one, the pleasure zones of your brain light up as they process much more than can be seen with the eye.

There are smells – appealing, exotic and enticing. And sounds. There’s that Christmas song you thought you hated, but somehow it works in here. Even your footfall on century-old timber floors has a musical quality to it. And there are people smiling. It’s the pre-Christmas rush and they’re actually smiling!

What’s the word? Ambience. Yes, that’s it. Ambience. And taste. This place is dreamlike. Pure retail escapism.

Blackwell and Sons’ Greytown emporium is the anti-mall. Everything that a mall is ­– big, impersonal, pressured, predictable, sometimes downright intimidating – we aren’t. That’s especially true at Christmas time.

So, if you’d prefer some space to shop without the jostle, to discover new and interesting items that you won't find in the branded chain stores, and like to park without the hostility (Greytown's great like that) Blackwell and Sons has everything you need.

It also has Michelle, Trish and Shane, who are guaranteed to exorcise the Christmas grinch from anyone.

See you soon for that last flurry of shopping you must get done and leave at the end of the day with a golden glow and contented shopper's victory smile.