Selfridges opens world-famous Christmas shop - 149 days ahead of the festive holiday

A number of us might not have even jetted off on our annual summer getaway yet but Selfridges has welcomed Christmas surprisingly early this year - 149 days ahead of the festive holiday to be precise.

As per tradition, the capital’s famous department store is the first in the world to have Santa open its tinsel-decked doors this year and even managed to beat its own personal record.

Last year, the Oxford Street store opened its Christmas floor two days later than today’s unveiling on July 31, 2018.

Proving 2019 is set to be its biggest festive celebration to date, this year’s theme is Future Fantasy and is designed to celebrate the “enduring magic of Christmas”.

Regardless of the changing times, Selfridges is rethinking and retelling traditional festive stories as old as time through a modern (not-so-purse-friendly) lens.

Even Father Christmas has undergone a millennial makeover with a chic fur-trimmed metallic coat and matching hat.

As per previous years, Selfridges will launch its world-famous shop in two phases with the complete 3,500-line product selection launching on September 2 - giving shoppers plenty of time to save up.

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If you can’t wait to get into the holiday spirit (guilty!), then you can now shop over 600 lines with prices kick-starting at £2 for a festive-themed London bus key ring.

Elsewhere in the store, the most expensive item currently on offer is a 30cm-tall ‘Santa Yoga’ figurine priced at £100. Come September, another of the most eye-watering items to be flogged will be a pre-lit Bedminster faux Christmas tree at £2,000.

According to the retail giant, the annual summer launch has translated into year-on year record sales driven by both early festive shoppers and souvenir-hunting tourists looking to bring back touching mementos of a London Christmas.

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“We have so many customers visiting from all over the world, eager to snap up festive decorations and souvenirs on their London summer holidays which they can't buy at home,” Selfridges Christmas and Home Buyer, Eleanor Gregory, said. “So, we make sure we're ready to showcase Christmas decorations they will truly treasure.”

This year, Selfridges will also launch its own Christmas-themed range while six new sustainable brands have been added to the shelves with decorations, gift wrap and cards up for grabs.

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