10 Last-Minute Holiday Gifts

By Jackie MiddletonUpdated: Aug. 06, 2019

Don’t let last-minute shopping turn you into the Grinch! Here are our top 10 gifts for the time-challenged, all under $150.

1 / 10

Chocolate & Cocoa Lover Gift Set

Luckily for the chocoholics on your gift list, there’s always a Starbucks nearby. Their Chocolate & Cocoa Lover Gift Set features the Create Joy Cocoa Kit, a bountiful collection of goodies that has everything you need – rich cocoa mix, vanilla marshmallows, all-natural peppermint stir sticks, shaved chocolate curls – to create a luscious hot beverage, perfect for alleviating winter’s chill. A 4-pack of peppermint dark chocolate grahams, and a tube of salted almond chocolate bites (they’re triple chocolate-covered!) provide the perfect accompaniment for this delicious last minute gift.

$34.85 at Starbucks

2 / 10

Roots Leather Clutch

The holidays might be a celebration that’s traditionally decked out in red, green, silver and gold, but Roots would like to bring a new hue to the party – magenta! Say hello to Roots gorgeous Pleated Clutch. This bright berry bag is stylishly crafted in Canada from genuine Italian leather. Boasting an adjustable and removable strap, this purse can take its owner from day to night, as it transforms from a shoulder bag to an elegant hand-held clutch. The top zipper closure and roomy interior will keep the most important of essentials safe and at hand. Order today, and Roots will ship your purchase on the next business day.

$138 at Roots

3 / 10

Reader’s Digest Magazine Subscription

Care to spoil your boss, best friend, or husband with Canada’s most-read magazine? Treat them to a year-long subscription to Reader’s Digest for a gift that will continue to bring joy to its recipient throughout the new year. Twelve fascinating and informative issues will be delivered directly to their door each month chock full of interesting reads on health, finances, entertainment, food, travel, culture and more. Investigative features, inspiring real life stories and humourous anecdotes enthrall over 5 million Canadian readers each month. The best part? You won’t have to go further than your local pharmacy or grocery store to procure this last-minute gift.

$24.97 at readersdigest.ca

4 / 10

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

Don’t worry about having no time to whip up a delectable gourmet gift. Thanks to Indigo’s NextDay Delivery, Cookies and Cream Popcorn can arrive on your doorstep tomorrow! Inside a re-usable vintage style tin, you’ll find 907g of sweet caramel corn mingling with delectable cookies and cream chunks drizzled with white chocolate. Snack connoisseurs know that anytime salty flavour meets sweet and chocolately, you’ve got yourself a gift-giving winner. Beat last minute shopping – or baking – anxiety, and buy a tin or two for your friends, family and co-workers to guarantee glad tidings wherever you go this holiday.

$22.00 at Indigo

5 / 10

Celebrity Fragrances

Perfumes – especially celebrity fragrances – are one of the most sought-after holiday gifts each year. Thankfully your nearby Shoppers Drug Mart or Pharmaprix is your last-minute shopping HQ for all things sweet smelling and decadently beautiful. Boasting celebrity scents from today’s hottest stars – Beyoncé, Adam Levine, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, One Direction, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and more – you’ll be able to find the ideal fragrance for everyone on your list all in one place! How’s that for stress-free?

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix

6 / 10

Bobby Orr: My Story

‘Tis the season for Canada’s favourite sport. Let Amazon’s one-day shipping help satisfy the hockey fan on your list with ‘Bobby Orr: My Story’ (Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 2013), the long-anticipated memoir of the beloved Boston Bruin and NHL Hall of Famer. Orr’s story takes readers from his humble beginnings in Parry Sound, Ontario through to his glory days as one of the NHL’s most acclaimed stars. Delve inside the mind of the only player in NHL history to capture the Hart, Ross, Norris and Conn Smythe trophies in a single season. And with Amazon’s speedy shipping, you’ll be a winner, too – as the most skilled last-minute shopper, that is.

$16.00 at amazon.ca

7 / 10

Mini Kick Scooter

Meet the Mini Kick Scooter. Cleverly created with a ‘lean-and-steer’ design, boys and girls aged three to five can direct and glide the scooter over paved surfaces using their own body weight. The aluminum steering column, and three polyurethane wheels provide stability, power and control while the rear brake can easily put a halt to the rolling fun when necessary. For online shoppers, the scooter’s 27kg weight makes it light enough to ship via Indigo’s NextDay Delivery.

$99.95 at Indigo

8 / 10

Seinfeld: The Complete Series DVD Box Set

It’s not too late to invite Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer home for the holidays. The recently released DVD box set of the entire series of Seinfeld is ready to bring belly laughs to the Christmas, Hanukkah or Festivus celebrations of your nearest and dearest. Larry David’s popular “show about nothing” spanned 9 seasons and left behind its indelible pop culture mark (remember the marble rye, and “no soup for you”?). Truth be told, you might want to keep this gift for yourself – not that there’s anything wrong with that! Select Amazon’s ‘one-day shipping’ at checkout to receive this gift within 24 hours.

$104.99 at amazon.ca

9 / 10

Jamie Oliver Wine Vinegars

Bet you never thought that you could find decadent last minute gifts in the grocery aisle. Famed UK chef Jamie Oliver recently unveiled his collection of exquisite wine vinegars exclusive to Sobeys stores across Canada. Choose from Jamie’s Chianti Red Wine Vinegar, Pinot White Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Sticky Chili Balsamic Glaze. Created from fine ingredients such as aged Italian wine, fiery chilies, and sweet grape juice, these specialty vinegars will add flare to sauces, dips, and marinades. Plus, they’ll take a bite out of your last minute shopping stress.

From $6.99 at Sobey’s

10 / 10

Gift Cards

Are you running from store to store searching for gifts for that difficult aunt, moody teenager, or prickly co-worker? A quick dash into Shoppers Drug Mart or Pharmaprix will solve all your last-minute shopping angst in one go, with racks loaded with a wide variety of must-have gift cards. Need a Cineplex card for your movie buff nephew? Check. An Indigo card for a book- loving granddad? It’s here, too. Shopppers Drug Mart even has its own gift cards sitting alongside cards for iTunes, Tim Hortons, and Swiss Chalet. Prepaid Master Card gift cards are also available, so the recipient can shop anywhere they choose.

From $3 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix

Originally Published: December 02, 2013