Dixons has hit back in the war of the electrical retailers by chopping prices storewide by 5% until December 22.  Margins have been eroded aggressively by the electrical retailers this Christmas with waves of discount codes and offers from Currys, Comet and Dixons.  The latest cut by Dixons is in response to both Currys and Comet extending their discount code offers right up until Christmas in most cases.

This latest Disons discount codes replaces all previous 5% and 3% off offers which were generally product related.  This is a blanket 5% and can be used on anything from an LCD TV to an Ipod to a food mixer. 

It’s great news for shoppers code looking for that last minute bargain.  If you need something very quickly you can also get very prompt delivery if you pay a bit extra.

To see Dixons discount codes click here

Marks & Spencer has reduced selected hampers by 30% (the previous offer was a 20% reduction on all hampers) as Christmas approaches.  They’ve been pretty brazen about it too by plastering a discount code on their Christmas Hamper landing page that’s pretty difficult to miss.

The Christmas hamper business is very competitive and M&S hampers are well known for their quality, so this is a great offer.  The number of hampers that are now reduced by 30% with this discount code is pretty extensive.  Of those priced under£50, six will accept the discount code – and that includes the Christmas Sweetie Stocking which is priced at just £20; which would take the price down to £14, and that’s a great deal.

With 30% off a pretty large number of the hampers, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a bargain with this discount code.  Hampers make great presents and corporate gifts – as well as a nice treat for the family and kids at Christmas.

M&S hampers are priced from £20 and there are 9 hampers to choose from that are below £50.  Plus there’s the Christmas Magnificence Hamper which is priced at £500, if you’re feeling a little more extravagant.  This price reduction is also set to run until December 31 so you can also get a hamper for New Year using this discount code.

Currys and Comet have extended all their current discount code offers in the final week before Christmas.  Both retailers have been heavily discounting a number of their most popular product ranges such as DVD players, MP3 players, Hi-Fi, Mini Hi-Fi, DAB radios as well as some white goods.

The discount codes on offer have been extended continuously throughout December and they have now all been extended to just about the very end of Christmas – and even beyond in some cases as they both eye Boxing Day and the January sales.  This is great news for shoppers who are still looking for a bargain in the last week before Christmas or who intend to shop online as soon as the sales officially open on Boxing day.

January sales have been edging forward in recent years and you can expect the same to happen this year with websites open for business with fresh sale offers as soon as the clock strikes 12 on Christmas Day.

To shop with their discount codes get the deals below:

Comet discount codes – click here

Currys discount codes – click here

It would take me all night to list all the special offers and sales this weekend but one thing’s for sure, the online retailers are after your business and they’re prepared to cut prices to get it.  This weekend promises to be probably the busiest online Christmas shopping weekend so far and will probably prove to be the busiest of 2008 with just one more to go after this.  Many guaranteed last order dates for Christmas are approaching fast so you will need to be quick to grab the best bargains in time for Christmas.

Here are some of the best offers I have found this weekend:

Dorothy Perkins – FREE delivery on all orders over £40 December 13-18 – click here

63% off  JVC LT-47 DV8 47″ HD Ready LCD With Integrated Freeview £899 inc VAT + FREE delivery – click here

All Comet discount codes extended until December 26 – click here

Maplin FREE delivery on all orders this weekend only – click here

25% off Science Museum and Natural History Christmas gifts at Eddie’s Essentials – click here

HTC Touch 3G Windows Mobile under £300 at Insight UK – click here

Boden’s Winter Sale starts this weekend – up to 60% off – click here

Marks and Spencer 3 for 2 Christmas sale – click here

Extreme Pie 15% off this weekend only – click here

Free ring of your choice when you spend £50 at Coloured Rocks – click here

Early Learning Centre 1/3 off toys – click here

Up to 65% off toys at The Toy Shop – click here

Boots half price offers – click here

And don’t forget there are lot and lots of new discount codes available for lots of retailers - see them all here

Have a great Christmas shopping weekend and if anyone can think of what to buy a 12-year old boy who has most things, please let me know – because at the moment I’m stuck.

Maplin has extended its 3 for 2 offer on toys until Christmas Eve – although you’ll obviously need to order before then to be sure of delivery for Christmas.

They have a great new section setup for the offer which includes very neat presents such as remote controlled helicopters, remote controlled planes, remote controlled cars, motorised trikes, Meccano and even a usb piano!! They really do have some great gifts.  Click here for the Maplin website. 

There are lots of other offers too that have been announced today:

Barratts sale starts Monday – click here

New Savile Row discount codes – click here

New Screwfix Direct discount code – click here

Kitbag new Sporting Gifts – click here

Gluv footwear discount codes including 30% off everything – click here

Flowers Direct new discount codes – click here

Cloggs new discount codes – click here

UK Soccershop FREE shorts offer – click here

Urban Retro new discount codes – click here

John Lewis new offers and price reductions – click here

Burton 20% off everything – click here

Digiat Direct FREE 3-year warranty on all Plasma and LCD TVs – click here

Moss Bros, the upmarket men’s and women’s shop and hire retailer has issued a great new discount code offering 20% off selected brands including classic tailored tuxedos or stylish party suits.  The discount is available until December 18.

It’s quite unusual for retailers to issue discounts that are available in-store as well as online but Moss Bros is obviously trying to grab a greater share of the suit and black tie hire business for those Christmas parties that are taking place over the next week and a half.

You can get the online discount code here.  But if you’d prefer to use the discount available at your local store, then click on the image above and print the voucher out.  20% off suit hire at this time of year is a very welcome bonus.

Moss Bros has been aggressively marking down its stock over the past month in the same way that TM Lewin has been doing and has some great deals on suits from just £75 and up to 50% off items online and in-store. 

Visit the Moss Bros website and view all offers.

TM Lewin also has a 10% discount code available until December 23 for use online.  TM Lewin has already cut prices by 10% in the run up to Christmas so use the discount code to get 20% off online.

Shirts, ties, jackets and trousers make great presents for men and are always a nice safe bet for the working man.  TM Lewin and Moss Bros also have excellent women’s departments both online and in-store.

This offer might interest guys searching for that elusive gift for loved ones this Christmas.  Call it a credit crunching offer if you like, but it’s certainly a very significant one.

Goldsmiths, the UK’s largest luxury jeweller, has reduced prices by 25% on all diamond rings and diamond jewellery.  So, if you were intending to really splash the cash this Christmas and treat that lady in your life, then you can now at a much better price – and if you weren’t intending to, then take a look here and work out the prices less 25%.  This offer runs until December 19 at midnight online.

This is a really genuine offer and is obviously driven by flagging sales of luxury items this Christmas.  They’ve advertised it on their own website - so there’s no need to write any discount code down before you enter as it’s on their site.

Prices are not also not as expensive as you might think.  Diamond rings start at around the £100 mark but they obviously go up to prices much higher than that.  If you are or were  planning to buy an expensive piece of diamond jewellery or diamond ring, then this really is a great offer and can save you a significant amount of money.  I think the most expensive ring I could find on there was 7,927.47 – now 25% off that is £1981.87!!!!

Valentines Day is also not that far away, so if you had some diamond jewellery in mind, then planning ahead before December 19 would save a lot of money.  It highlights what I’ve said before with regard to how much stores are wlling to mark goods down to make sales.

Discount codes are worth searching for every time you make a purchase online – you will often be surprised what you can save.

Dixons has taken its festive offering right to the wire by extending its main discount code of 3% off all sales right up to Christmas Eve.  The Dixons discount code will now expire at 9am on December 22 when it will be replaced with a new offer – which means they’ve extended it by a further 2 weeks.  This is great news for shoppers looking to save money in the last 2 weeks before Christmas.However, it comes as no surprise.  The Dixons discount code was originally introduced as a VAT price drop but with electrical stores cutting prices furiously, competition is rife.  And discount codes are a big influence now on shopper behaviour online.

Expect to see Comet and Currys follow suit as they both have discount codes expiring within the next couple of days.

Even PC World, which is reluctant to use voucher codes, hopped on the bandwagon this week and issued a discount code offering 5% off all digital photo frames until Christmas Eve.

It’s lovely to see that The Stylophone has made something of a comeback this year.  For us 40-somethings that fondly remember Rolf Harris introducing this cute ‘piano-like’ musical instrument – and then Rick Wakeman showing everyone what it can really do – it adds a touch of nostalgia to see it back in stores this Christmas.

For those of you who don’t know what a Stylophone is see here.  But, in Layman’s terms, it’s a cute little musical thing that you play like an electric organ with a stylus – hence the name stylophone.  For the more musically talented it has real potential, for the less so it’s still great fun.

The modern day Stylophone has been updated with an MP3 function so you can listen to music while you play and it now has a volume control and new sound effects.  The Stylophone is available in many online stores this Christmas and really does make a great present.

It’s worth comparing prices before you buy it because prices do vary a little.  Here’s a guide to the best deals with some iscount codes:

Findmeagift.com: Stylophone £13.90

Prezzybox: Stylophone £14.95
Prezzybox current discount codes

Firebox: Stylophone £14.95

Hawkin’s Bazaar Stylophone £14.99

Iwantoneofthose.com Stylophone £14.99
Iwantoneofthose.com discount codes

Bean Bags!!  Didn’t they die out in the 80s?  Well, no they didn’t.  In fact, bean bags are making something of a comeback.  And, one of the reason they’re having a bit of a renaissance – in my view – is because of the absolute legions of today’s youth that lie prostrate in front of a games console - (am I sounding cynical enough yet?).

But seriously, bean bags now come in more shapes and sizes that was ever considered imaginable.  In my day, there was one style – large blob thing that however much you tried, you always ended up looking at the ceiling while sitting on it.  Now, you can choose from bean bag chairs, maternity bean bags, sofa bed bean bags, cube bean bags, giant bean bags, leather bean bags, suede bean bags.  You name it and it’s been ‘bean bagged;!!

Aside from the rather more typical style of bean bag, what is now very popular is the ‘Gaming Chair’ (Bean Bag).  They include the upright back style that you’ve probably seen in PC World or Comet, but they are still essentially bean bags.  They actually make great presents if you’re going to become proud new owners of a PS3, XBox or Wii this Christmas.

So, save your back and check out this great range from Bean Bag Bazaar who are, incidentally, having a half price Christmas sale right now.

Bean Bag Bazaar also has a 3% off discount code available until December 15  – click here.