While Christmas for many is seen as a joyful time of fun and festivity, nobody can deny the mania that comes with Christmas shopping.
The Overgate flooded in those final few hours before the big day, mums and dads on a frantic search for that one particular gift their child couldn’t live without, realising at the last minute that in all their prepping for the kids they’d forgotten to get gifts for each other…
Buying the gifts ends up being just as memorable as the big day itself.
We’ve opened up the DC Thomson archives for a look back at some of the highlights of Dundee’s Christmas shopping rushes through the years.
A real trip back in time, they offer a glimpse into what Christmas shopping looked like in the past as well as some well-known shops now confined to the history books.
Dear Santa…
These two kids from Dundee were using the Christmas sales to add items to their Christmas lists!
While Mum and Dad were busy making purchases, they were admiring the many board games on offer in the local supermarket.
Hopefully they got what they wished for on the big day.
Christmas Crowds
The streets were just as busy in 1976.
Shoppers fought against the tides to visit each of the shops on their lists, determined to secure that bargain.
By the looks of all those heavy bags, a good few of them managed it!
Meeting Santa
Dundee’s beloved John Menzies store was visited by the main man himself in 1978.
Here he is meeting a young Michael Gallagher, who was eager to let Santa know exactly what he wanted for Christmas.
We wonder if his wish came true?
A season of giving
While it was the place to get your Christmas presents in 1979, in 2019 the Murraygate was the place to return them.
Beaverbrooks the jeweller announced that any unwanted gifts dropped off at their Dundee store would be donated to a local charity.
In exchange for the unused gift, they would receive a £10 Beaverbrooks gift card in return.
Bargains in John Menzies
You could certainly get more gifts for your money back when a bar of Galaxy chocolate was only 52p!
Back in John Menzies and the festively decorated store had an array of selection boxes on display in 1982.
You could even pick up a Lion bar for yourself while shopping for just 12p!
Christmas carols at Craigie
The Craigie High School brass band provided the soundtrack to the Wellgate Centre in 1986.
Conducted by their music teacher Hugh Smith, the pupils provided shoppers with traditional renditions of beloved carols and songs.
Do you recognise any of the students?
Last-minute gifts
What to buy, what to buy?
Here are several Dundonians flocking to a nearby perfume counter in 1990 just 72 hours before the big day.
Have you been more organised this year?
Christmas at Keiller Centre
The Christmas tree at the Keiller Centre provided happy Dundonians with some festive ambience when they completed their shopping in 1993.
On the site of the old Keillers factory, the shopping mall opened in 1979 and enabled Dundonians to get all their festive goods, as well as their Christmas dinner from its two butchers or greengrocers.
With recent calls for the City Council to resurrect the indoor market, perhaps these images serve as a reminder of how popular it once was.
While many were preoccupied with ticking things off their lists, 3-year-old Jade Nicolson was more interested in the snow!
Here she is in the City Centre while out shopping with her mother.
Only time will tell if we’ll get similar weather this year.
The First Noel
Dundee’s Christmas bonanza shopping night kicked off the city’s festive season in 2006.
Thousands of shoppers descended on the city centre for the after-hours shopping spectacular.
The Youth Music Initiative opened the event with a selection of beloved carols.
With only a few days to go until Christmas Day, these images certainly suggest that crowds will once again flock to the city to make sure there’s plenty of gifts under that tree.
In the season of giving, Dundee does it best.
