Cards, gifts and wrapping paper have been bought, the festive food is on order and now the next job is to retrieve the decorations from the loft.
There’s no denying that hitting the high street to buy your Christmas presents is a very different experience to what it used to be.
So we asked the Gazette readers to shout out the shops from the past that they just HAD to visit in the run-up to December 25.
See how many of these were on your list, and add your own suggestions to our Facebook post here.
. NPGZ shopping collage NEP upload.jpg
Gazette readers have been shouting out their favourite shops to visit in the run-up to Christmas. Photo: JPIMedia
1. Woolworths
Gina Brown said: "Woolworths, was just telling my son about the shop this morning - going down the stairs and seeing all the toys as a kid." Photo: Johnston Press
2. Binns
The Binns team pictured here in 1977, on the firm's 50th anniversary in South Shields. Margaret Ellis said: "Binns toy department, all decorated for Christmas." Photo: JPIMedia
3. Rippons
Rippons, pictured in September 1972. The shop got a shout out from Deborah Stidolph, John Kassim and David Gray. Photo: Shields Gazette
4. T&G Allan
Shopping in King Street in 1977. Did you go to Allan's to see Santa? Photo: Shields Gazette