A Guide To Buying Chocolates Online For Christmas

Christmas time, mistletoe, wine and indulging in chocolate time! Christmas chocolate is a perfect gift to send during the festive season. If your friends and family are receiving lots of visitors they'll really appreciate having something to share, and it's always nice to have something tasty to hand other than mince pies! It's also always worth having a few spare presents ready for those inevitable unexpected guests!

Creamy white, smooth milk, or indulgent dark chocolate…whatever their taste, there is a box to suit even the most awkward relative or friend! You can't go wrong with a delicious chocolate selection box with classic favourites including velvety caramels, creamy ganache, nutty pralines and fruity centres!

If you're not a big fan of Christmas high street queues, you're not going to see loved ones before Christmas or you just like to surprise relatives with a chocolate gift delivered straight to their door, online shopping is definitely your best bet.  There are many companies offering chocolate treats delivered, but it can sometimes be a bit daunting knowing which one to choose when you have over 2 million Google results for the term 'chocolate gifts delivery'.

Here is my simple guide to choosing the best online retailer for your Christmas chocolate treats...

1) Look for secure websites (indicated by the padlock in the bottom right hand corner) and ensure the retailer has a clear postal address on its homepage, along with a freephone customer service number so you can speak to someone if you have a problem with your order.  Many companies also offer a no quibble quality guarantee to give you extra piece of mind.

2) Ask friends and family to recommend websites that are easy to use, offer great value chocolate gifts and excellent customer service.

3) Beware of many online retailers sneakily adding a large delivery charge at the end of the checkout process.  Look for those which include free delivery so you know exactly what you are paying for and won't get any nasty surprises during payment.

4) Keep an eye out for little extras that can be added on to your order.  Some online chocolate retailers offer a free personalised message service and greetings cards to add a special finishing touch to your gift.

5) Save money by searching for discounts on voucher code websites and check if the retailer has loyalty scheme where you can collect reward points on your purchases. If you are buying lots of Christmas chocolate gifts you can save up your points to treat yourself to some chocolate goodies at the same time!

We mustn't forget the small matter of advent calendars, arguably the most important Christmas chocolate in some households. Often it is grandparents who like to buy advent calendars for their grand children every year and in situations where grandparents have emigrated overseas, or their family has moved to the other side of the country, this tradition becomes difficult to uphold. So this is one of those occasions when using an online shop to have an advent calendar delivered by post is a real life saver (just remember the top 5 tips above).   

Happy Shopping!