Professor Dominic Regan goes shopping!
Whilst I think I know a bit about Civil Procedure, wine and European rail travel my real specialty is shopping. I derive as much pleasure when shopping for others as for myself. What follows are a few top tips.
On the High Street TK Maxx can be amazing. Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and London Oxford St have superstores. For those in the capital the branch at Hammersmith has amazing stock and there is both an Ikea and Lidl across the road.
Moleskine diaries and notebooks which normally sell for over £20 cost £6-99. My best stationery find was a Smythson notebook (£45) going for £2-50.
High class boxes of William Morris Christmas cards at a fiver are a steal. I buy lots of pens at half High Street prices. Italian Baci chocolates with a regular price of £9 can be had for less than £4.Genuine Apple products such as my Ipad case have recently appeared costing £19-99, not £40.
Lockdown drove me into the arms of Ebay which I had always thought dubious. How wrong I was. The Master of the Rolls regularly mentions the company dispute resolution process. On the 3 occasions when I had cause to complain I was reimbursed within 24 hours. I am an avid reader and Amazon, which also has brilliant customer service, is excellent. However, there is a minimum spend or else postage is extra whereas many Ebay vendors offer free postage regardless. Always compare.
The Readly app for £9-99 saves me a fortune. Few people seem to be aware of it. I have subscribed for years without a problem ever. It is like a Spotify for magazines and newspapers. Thousands of magazines, some of which cost £5 -£7 each can be read. Whether you want motor, fashion, travel, wine, TV listings or pretty much anything else you will find more than you could ever read or afford to buy!
On the wine front this is the golden time of year. All of the major supermarkets (but not Aldi or Lidl) have multiple promotions, most often buy 6 get 25 % off. If you can afford it then stock up. I guarantee, due to experience, that in January deals will disappear and prices, which have already jumped this year, will head higher. It is now or never!
Dominic Regan, Director of the Frenkel Topping Knowledge Hub
03.11.2023