Christmas to start at Selfridges next month

There may be another 159 shopping days to go before Christmas, but at Selfridges in Oxford Street the festive season has come around unseasonably early.

In just over two weeks the department store will open its Christmas shop, much to the chagrin of those who regard December as the proper time for such things.

Selfridges says this year's big theme will be opulence, which means a Burberry gold-studded tote bag (£1,395) for her, glittering Converse trainers (£250) for him and a £99 Baby Dior jewel-encrusted vest for the little one.

Many people may find planning for late December in mid-summer absurd, but Geraldine James, one of the store's Christmas buyers, flies to Atlanta's huge festive trade fair as early as 9 January.

"At Selfridges we have a lot of international customers who may see something in August which they think is perfect for Christmas, whether it's a gift or tree decorations," she said. "The truth is a lot of people start to think about Christmas very early on."