Have a Merry Christmas online

Says Evan Milton, editor-in-chief of the Tiscali portal: "We have developed a micro-site that offers shoppers the convenience of doing practically every aspect of their Christmas shopping online. In keeping with the festive spirit, consumers will find the site offers much more than just a typical Internet retail 'store'."

Content on the site includes recipes for some favourite Christmas treats and drinks, including mince pies, ginger cakes and eggnog. This year, however, the Christmas pudding takes on a whole new flavour. "We will be running a competition requiring users to guess the location of the traditional pudding pennies online. Fantastic prizes can be won.

"Our partners play a key role in expanding the Tiscali Christmas site offering, ensuring a full range of shopping deals on top-brand bargains," Milton says. "Look out for NetFlorist hampers and the latest in music and books from Kalahari. Woolworths also has a host of Christmas goodies and gift items to choose from."

Anyone looking for more diversity in their gift-giving pursuits can explore some of the more 'experiential' gifts on offer from Egos.co.za. These include vouchers for spa treatments, adventure sports or even a sushi-making course.

"Shopping online makes it that much easier to send gifts to relatives or friends in distant locations: simply purchase a voucher, hamper or present for direct delivery to their street address. For those unsure of what to get whom, our gift lists offer good suggestions for mom, dad, friends or the family," says Milton.