So, just like every other year, you were sort of probably planning to leave your Christmas shopping until, like a week beforehand or something, yeah? Ah. Might be a problem: 2010 isn’t like any other year. First off, the weather will thwart your online shopping, and possibly your chances of getting into town. If you do make it out to the high street, there’s the possibility that any major stores with, ah, creative tax arrangements will have been blockaded by UK Uncut protestors, who have so demonstrated outside Vodafone and the Arcadia Group owned by Sir Philip Green (Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis among others). The next UK Uncut protests will be on Saturday 18 December in a high street near you, in case you’re interested.

What you need, dear Lazy Shopper With A Slowly Awakening Conscience, is a local festive market. All the mulled wine-y joy of the city centre Christmas markets, but in your own neighbourhood, and probably cheaper and better for it.

In Glasgow, you’re pretty much spoilt for choice. The West End is hoaching with markets: Granny Would Be Proud has one more event on at the Hillhead Book Club (Sun 19 Dec, 12-7pm): comics, toys, DVDs, retro homeware, homemade jams and vintage frocks. At the Hidden Lane just off Argyle Street in the West, the Hidden Pop Up Shop has, well, popped up, run by online market Much Too Fun (see www.muchtoofun.co.uk for a look at their wares), with woolly clothes and hats, prints by local artists, books, Belle & Sebastian-designed goodies, jewellery by Obscure Couture and Fantoosherie and retro gaming to entertain you (runs throughout December, 12-6pm weekdays, 12-9pm Thursdays, 12-4pm Saturdays). Further into town, DIY crafting gurus Welcome Home have set up a pop-up store at the CCA (until Thu 23 Dec), selling household-y loveliness and accessories (www.welcomehomestore.co.uk). East End-ers might find it easier to get to the Merchant City Makers Market (Fri 17 Dec–Sun 19 Dec & Wed 22 Dec–Fri 24 Dec, 11am–6pm): crafts, candles, leatherware and silver jewellery from Circa 72, or Made In The Shade’s SuperMercado Festive Indie Marketplace at the New Barras Centre (Sat 18 Dec, from 10am): all the stalls you’d expect, plus live music (www.wearemadeintheshade.com)

However, fear not, Edinburgh fans of vintageware and hip crafting. Saturday 18 December is a good day for you: Leith’s Out of the Blue Drill Hall are running their usual Arts Market, with work by local arts and crafters: hats, prints, fabric art as well as books, curios and records. Southsiders might be able to stretch their legs over to the Teviot Debating Hall, for the V is for Vintage Christmas Fayre: vintage and vintage style clothing, kitsch jewellery and bric-a-brac, and a fashion show at 2pm. There you go: shopping sorted. As long as none of your loved ones was after an iPad.

Christmas shopping bargains

Glasgow

First there was Elements, a gift emporium in Glasgow’s West End, which led to an offshoot shop, Pink Poodle, followed by an e-boutique Love La, selling wares from both. All three go into sale mode on Mon 27 Dec with up to 50% off selected lines.
Pink Poodle, 181–183 Byres Road, Glasgow; Elements, 5–21 Cresswell Lane, Glasgow, 0141 357 3344; www.lovelaboutique.com

Edinburgh

Good news. Goodstead will be slashing their prices online on Christmas Eve (from 5pm onwards) and instore on Boxing Day from noon. Some of the covetable brands getting a 20–30% discount are Clarks Originals, Folk, Humanoid and APC.
76 Rose Street, Edinburgh, 0131 228 2846, www.goodstead.co.uk

Up in Bruntsfield, Fifi Wilson start their sale on Boxing Day with a tempting 50% off all clothes, which in their case means Bella Freud, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Marc by Marc Jacobs, American Retro and Bellerose.
Fifi Wilson, 181 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, 0131 228 2929, www.fifiwilson.com

Online shopping

Sneak in your order of Just Be aromatherapy oils before Tue 21 Dec, and online gift portal, Baffie will throw in a free Festive burning oil, worth £6.95. Their festive leather and wool decorations, and Christmas cards come with free delivery too. (Offer available until Thu 6 Jan.)
www.baffie.co.uk

A hugely useful website for our Christmas gift wrap, ribbon, tape and string needs, we were chuffed to see Papermash are going nuts with a 50% sale (selected items only, so semi-nuts really) from Mon 4 Jan.
www.papermash.co.uk

The Leaf Label (record label home to Efterklang, Psapp, Bill Wells and more) have just slashed prices on their web shop, with cheap deals on CDs and vinyl from Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Polar Bear and Oh No Ono amongst the bargains.
www.theleaflabel.net