The internet means that the perfect Christmas present is just a couple of clicks away - arriving on your doorstep in just a day or two.
But the likes of Black Friday, Amazon and click and collect are relatively new innovations.
In the 1950s and 1960s if you wanted to buy a few gifts then your only choice was to go to the shops - and there were no out-of-town shopping centres to make it convenient.
Instead you’d have to battle into town and head to somewhere like Edinburgh’s Princes Street and George Street, home to huge department stores like Jenners.
If you were really lucky your grocer might have the then new-fangled ‘self service’, meaning you wouldn’t have to queue for an age to get a shop assistant to pick all your prospective purchases from the shelves.
Here are 23 pictures to take you back to Christmas in Edinburgh over half a century ago.
13. Toy boys
Children inspect some prospective Christmas presents in the Thornton's toy department in 1958. Photo: Unknown
14. Sweet treat
Two shoppers selecting from a range of tins of toffees in in 1958. Photo: Unknown
15. Top of Santa's list
One of the most in-demand presents for Christmas in Edinburgh 1964 was the high-tech cine camera. Photo: Unknown
16. A lotta bottle
A Christmas display of bottle of port, sherry and jars of jam in an Edinburgh store in 1958. Photo: Unknown