Shopping in a Winter Wonderland

by A. E. O'Neill

[Originally published November 11, 1999]

I have a friend who, despite her full-time job, thriving social circle, dating and four times weekly boxercise class, has found the time to become a die-hard Martha Stewart. She bakes, decorates (I'm talking re-upholstery here, not the ability to artfully blend IKEA items) and hand-crafts all her Christmas gifts. Last year it was floating candles, wrapped with iridescent marble-filled glass floating bowls. The year before that; hand-made soaps that smelled like apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Fortunately, for the rest of us, there is a growing number of "etailers" (was that the sound of George Orwell turning in his grave?) offering every possible gift solution for the homebound, the workaholic, the credit-happy and the mall-phobic (and who could blame you for wanting to avoid the imminent Pokemon riot of '99?).

Below are some of the best options (with my favorite first, for anyone making a list).

The company that made catalog shopping a euphemism now has a web site (victoriassecret.com) that does something stores and catalogs can't hope to accomplish; making lingerie shopping fun and painless for men. It's pages burst with all the colorful, uh, design elements that make the catalog so attractive, with all the instant gratification that the catalog could never promise. It's quick and easy to navigate and the ordering process is beyond simple. Ladies can fill out an online "wish list" and forward it to potential Santas, and frequent shoppers can store their information for a faster turnaround on future purchases.

My favorite feature is the "Bra Search," where you enter your size and specifications (front closure, comes in red, etc.) and get back a list of all the matching styles available. One caveat: to use this section, men will need to know their lady's size without using their hands. The final touch that shows they really know their target market? They offer gift wrapping, gift reminders and - the clincher - guaranteed last minute Christmas Day delivery for orders placed as late as 3 p.m. (EST) December 23rd.

In case you're feeling generous this Christmas (or thinking; to hell with friends and relatives, I need a new computer!), then check out megadepot.com, a Canadian site which offers a great selection of all things technical and, for a $20 charge, will deliver anywhere in Canada within two days (regular shipping takes a maximum of ten). Additional features make megadepot.com not only a full-service shopping solution, but a surprisingly thorough destination for technical advice and comparison testimonials.

In the Ask the Experts section, you can read archived features on almost any gadget you're trying to talk yourself into buying and, if that's not enough to convince you, they clinch the deal by offering loans, a credit card and really cheap leasing. This site is one of the best I've seen at making major purchases a minor effort.

If the prospect of shopping for the kids on your list is giving you the same sense of giddy anticipation you get swerving towards a road check, you'll find the solution at etoys.com, an online store that does for kid stuff what amazon.com did for shelf-art; they stock everything from Barbie to Street Fighter Alpha 3 and offer level upon level of advice for the utterly clueless.

Between "etoys Recommends", the Idea Center menu (with themes like Girl Power and The Wonders of Science, how could you go wrong?), celebrity interviews (if it's good enough for Rosie's kids...), and the search-by-age feature, you'd have to try really hard not to find an appropriate gift for the rugrats on your list (and if you're trying that hard, gungear.com also has next day delivery!).

For kids of any age or that quirky friend with the boxing nun on her desk, I recommend spencergifts.com. A fun site with ideas ranging from frivolous ("inflatable" is an entire category) to tacky to downright scary (KISS is also a category), you're guaranteed to find something for the person you can't quite imagine sending a fruit basket.

Finally, it would be an unpardonable slight if I didn't mention that Martha Stewart herself is now represented online with marthabymail.com; an online source for all your holiday essentials, such as the Homemade Card Kit ("homemade" must not mean what I thought it did) and ice cube trays in the shape of icicles. Drop enough cash into hosting the holiday gathering this year and your friends will be so awed they might feel guilty expecting a gift at all... but know when to say when; if you find yourself surrounded by hand-marbleized wrapping paper and silk flowers, making your own snow globes by hand, get help!