Gift guide · Christmas 2026

Christmas gifts 2026: the ideas people really give

Gift idea lists all look alike. This one starts with a different question: what did customers actually buy in December at our boutique when they needed to buy a gift? We reviewed Christmas 2025 sales, in-store and online together, item by item.

In this guide: What people really give · What not to give · When to buy · Shipping · For her and for him · Questions

What people really give: the gift index

To understand what becomes a gift, we compared each category's share of sales from 1 to 24 December 2025 with its share during the first three weeks of November. An index above 1 means that category is bought more than usual at Christmas. Those are the gifts.

Our reading of it from the shop floor: the gift that works is one that does not require guessing. A wallet, a hat, or a scarf has no size, and the recipient can use it from the next day. That is the same reason jeans, which depend on waist and length, collapse in December.

Piquadro, the brand that changes character at Christmas

By brand, the biggest leap belongs to Piquadro: in December it weighs more than four times as much as in November, and accounts for almost 13% of the items sold that month. Laptop bags, briefcases and leather wallets are the classic gift for those who work, and the figures confirm it.

Hats, beanies and scarves

Hats almost triple in weight. A wool beanie or a women's hat is the safest gift we know: you choose it by colour, not size. The same applies to wool and cashmere scarves, which double in weight in December.

UGG slides and boots

Slides are the exception: they have a number, yet they sell twice as well at Christmas. More than eight in ten are UGG shearling slides. UGG as a whole accounts for 14.5% of December items, nearly three times its November share. Our advice if you’re gifting them: check the size of a pair they already wear, and consult the size guide, because every UGG model fits differently.

Timberland also triples its share in December. And MC2 Saint Barth remains stable, but is still the month’s best-selling brand: almost one item in five. Here, the gifts are the Vacanze di Natale sweaters, featuring slogans about Cortina and mountain resorts.

What not to gift (or at least not as a surprise)

The part gift idea lists don't tell you. adidas Originals, one of our best-selling brands throughout the year, and Dr. Martens fall to less than a third of their November share in December. Not because people don't like them: sneakers and ankle boots are chosen by trying them on, and almost no one buys them for someone else.

The same applies to jeans, trousers and jackets. If you want to gift a garment with a size, start with a piece from the same brand that the recipient already wears. And if you're still unsure, the Gift Card solves it: the recipient can choose from more than 200 brands, in the right size.

When to shop: Christmas shopping starts on the Immacolata

We counted the units sold each day from December 1 to 24, 2025. Three things surprised us.

The strongest day in December is the 8th, the Immacolata. Five times a normal November day, and more than Cyber Monday, which fell on December 1 last year and came second. December 9 came third.

43% of units had already been sold by the evening of December 9. The final week, from December 18 to 24, accounts for 22%: less than a quarter. Those who wait until Christmas Eve find fewer sizes and fewer colors.

The way people shop changes. Between December 1 and 9, the Roccapiemonte store accounts for 15% of units, while the rest comes through the website. Between December 18 and 24, the store accounts for 67%. Those who move early order online; those who arrive late come to the boutique.

There is also a practical reason not to order too early. Returns, free in Italy, are accepted within 30 days from the order date: a gift bought on December 8 can be exchanged until January 7, while one bought on Black Friday on November 27 can only be exchanged until December 27. If you want to spend less, Black Friday is still the opportunity. If you want more time to exchange after the holidays, the week of the Immacolata is the right moment.

Method: boutique, store and website sales, in net units sold (sold minus returns), from November 1 to December 24, 2025. The index is the ratio between a category or brand's share in December (1-24) and its share from November 1 to 20. We do not publish revenues or absolute values.

When to order to receive it before Christmas

Orders confirmed by 12 p.m., Monday to Friday, normally ship the same day. Considering courier transit times in Italy, our recommendation for Christmas 2026 is:

December 8 is a public holiday: an order placed after 12 p.m. on Monday the 7th will ship on Wednesday the 9th. For smaller islands and locations served less frequently by the courier, it is best to order a few days earlier. The boutique's gift-wrapping kit (Vittorio Citro bag, scented ribbon for the bow and two envelope seals with the VC logo) was the best-selling item of all last December.

Christmas gifts for her and for him

For her and for him, we have two separate guides, with suggestions divided by category: Christmas gifts for her and Christmas gifts for him. If you are looking for ideas that work beyond the holidays, for a birthday or anniversary, there are gift ideas for a woman and gift ideas for a man, and for a special gift, our selection of luxury gifts.

For those who already have everything, homeware is the answer: a decanter or a pair of wine glasses are pieces that are used and remain on the table. And for anyone still deciding what to wear for the holidays, there is the guide to Christmas and New Year's Eve outfits.

One final piece of advice about perfume: don't give someone a fragrance you like yourself. Start with a fragrance you have seen them wear and look for one from the same family. In December, perfume sales increase by a third, and it is also the gift people get wrong most easily.

Frequently asked questions about Christmas gifts

Vittorio Citro. The Citro family has been selling footwear and fashion since 1917; in 2017 Vittorio Citro founded the Roccapiemonte (SA) multibrand boutique and the xazqelvurin.digital website. An authorized retailer of over 200 brands.