NOEL Gifts' general manager Winnie Tan, 44, is what you call a 'giftologist', and her job is to advise customers on what to buy and for whom. She has a few tips for frazzled shoppers on how to organise their last-minute shopping sprees.

1 Make a list and prioritise it according to the importance of the relationship between you and the recipient. Presumably, this would mean family and loved ones come first, then close friends, then colleagues and so on.

2 Shop under one roof. Big malls like VivoCity, Marina Square and Suntec City have a wide variety of merchants and you can buy everything in one place.

3 Try to shop in the morning or near closing times to avoid having to jostle with other shoppers.

4 Get a 'helper' - a friend or your hapless husband - to tag along so he can queue at the cashier while you make your rounds.

5 Gift-wrapping services are great but the queues are often very long. Buy gift boxes or gift bags which you can chuck your presents into without having to go through the hassle of wrapping them.

6 What to buy? Well, you can't go wrong with toiletries and food and beverage items. An easy way to make a group of friends happy is to buy, say, a nice T-shirt in different colours.

If you are attending a party, get a lovely floral decoration for the host to add to the festive mood. Stay away from useless knick-knacks like stationery.

7 Remember there's no shame in shopping at the 11th hour.

Says Ms Tan: 'It would be nice if we have lots of time to shop. But at the end of the day, it's the thought that counts.

'Even if it's done last minute, your friends and family will appreciate you putting in time to buy them a gift.'