Jenners - Princes Street

For a house of Fraser establishment, Jenners was a bit of a disappointment. It's one of those instances where a new building seems to be crammed into an old building without any consideration for the old architecture. Inventory was OK, but not up to usual House of Fraser variety and quality. Getting rid of the very large tourist tat department would be a big improvement.

48 Princes Street
Edinburgh

0131 225 2442

Monsters at Harvey Nick's - St. Andrew Square

I love monsters, weird window displays and Harvey Nick's, so this is a winning combination.

Harvey Nichols
30 - 34 St Andrew Square
Edinburgh
EH2 2AD

0131 524 8388

Macys Open 24 hours - Manhattan

Macys, Manhatten is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week this holiday season. See the full story here..

This brings to mind the Christmas that I was a student teacher and worked at Macy's, San Francisco, to supplement my meagre income. I worked the Christmas ornament department, called Holiday Lane. I called it Holiday Shantytown.

All day, every day, I picked up broken ornaments and repackaged the houses from Santa's village ripped apart by shoppers who, if they liked what they found after tearing apart the packaging, would pick up a pristine, unopened box to buy. Never mind that the whole village was already set up on display. The only time I could get the mess under control was during the short lull that led up to closing. Later as the shopping frenzy heated up, we had to clean up after closing.

The power went out once and shoppers refused to leave the store. In fact, they were mad that the cash registers didn't work and we couldn't ring up their purchases by flashlight.

151 W. 34th St.
New York, NY 10001

212.695.4400

House of Fraser - Cheltenham

Cavendish House is the oldest department store in Cheltenham, dating back to 1823 when the town was a close rival to Bath as a holiday spa destination. Because it did not suffer the widespread destruction to housing during WW2 that London did, Cheltenham is said to have the most intact Regency period buildings in the UK. Unfortunately Cavendish House, now owned by The House of Frasier, does not reflect this.

The quality and selection of merchandise is good, though, exactly what you would expect to see at the House of Frasier.

Promenade
Cheltenham, GL50 1HP
0870 160 7233

Macys - Union Square

I love the fact that the tree at Union Square is still up. The juxtaposition of the Christmas tree and the palm tree make a nice California contrast to the East Coast flagship. In fact, compared to the San Francisco Macy's, the 34th street store looks like a hot mess.

Union Square
San Francisco, CA 94102

Bloomingdales - Soho

Bloomingdales, Soho is the chic, skinny sister of the flagship on 59th. It has all the elements of the original, the checkerboard floors, the pink beauty bar, the diverse range of designer lables. The Soho Bloomies is streamlined, though, edited to reflect the neighborhood it's in.

504 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
212.729.5900

Lord & Taylor - Fifth Avenue

This store is for chic grandmas, with three restaraunts, nice, comforable places to sit down and a lavish collection of clothes, such as Eileen Fisher, for older women who don't mind spending a little money to look good. Their Christmas ornament selection, while not as eye-popping as ABC Carpet & Home, is well worth a look during the Christmas season.

X-mas trees at Bloomingdales - Westfield San Francisco Center

While not exactly a winter wonderland, the trees are pretty & the ornaments for sale are some of the best I've seen so far this season.

845 Market Street
Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.512.6776

Harrods - Knightsbridge

What can I say about Harrods? The foodhalls are great if you're rich enough to buy a small pinapple for £10, or you're an American who's nostalgic for a fresh Krispy Creme and dedicated enough to stand in the long line.

It's little bit Las Vegas...

... a little bit Disneyland, and a large dose of naff.

I think of Harrods as the eBay of department stores. If you want access to a large breadth of designer labels, from food, to clothes to china, this is the place to go. However, if you want to look at a carefully edited selection of obscure, up-to-the-minute collections, go to Selfridges.

I'm not saying it should be avoided. There are times you may want to see everything a label has to offer, especially during the sales. I bought a lovely Anya Heinmarch tote here at 50% off, and it was a style I have never seen anywhere else. The toy department at Harrods is fantastic. It's an extravaganza of posh dolls, teddy bears and expensive cars. If you're a Playmobil fan, you'll feel like you've hit the jackpot. This is also one of the last places in London you can buy the un-PC gollywog.

Knightsbridge SW1
020 7730 1234

Bloomingdales - Westfield San Francisco Center

Despite the circus-like scene caused by acrobats hanging from the dome in the mall, performance art spectacles, and Gavin Newson schmoozing with Maria Schriver, it was well worth the effort to brave the crowds and hit Bloomingdales' grand opening.

I avoided the new mall altogether and went directly to the Bloomingdales entrance on Mission, but a mob of shoppers and others where there before me. UFCW members picketed against the union breaking policies of the new Bristol Farms in the mall while a high school drum squad banged out a greeting. Inside, shoppers carried their purchases in vinyl Bloomingdales bags, made especially for the occasion, while Grannys vyed for free logo emblazed umbrellas.

The black and white checkerboard floors at the 59th street Bloomingdales have been repeated here, as has the pink beauty bar, but the clean lines of the sales floor remind me of Selfridges. The well stocked shelves and racks held a phenomenal selection of designer wares including Chloe, Dior, Pratetsi, and the best selection of Missoni and Diane Von Furstenburg I've seen in San Francisco. Now if only they go on sale, so I can afford the Missoni sweater I've got my eye on.

845 Market Street
Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.512.6776