Pinning down an interview with the man of the season was no easy feat.

Our first meeting was postponed due to a blizzard that ripped through the North Pole, and then two weeks later, an elf shortage at HQ sent the team into disarray, further delaying our appointment.

When I finally sat down with the one and only Santa Claus, his doting wife, Mrs Claus, poured me a hot choccie and, over a slice of Christmas cake or two, we dove deep into conversation.

It mustn't be easy keeping so many children happy each year. Have you ever faltered in your annual endeavour?

Ah well, I find that each year presents its own unique challenges.

In 2019, I was up against bushfires in Australia, and over the following two years, travel regulations imposed by COVID-19 meant I had to jump through a lot more hoops than usual to get from A to B.

But while these tough times might have changed the nature of Christmas for some, I always did my best to make sure as many children as possible were still smiling on Christmas Day.

For those stuck on what to ask for, what are the most common present requests you've received this year?

Ah, the joys of reading over the wish lists I receive! Over the years, I've had everything from socks to motorbikes, and this year is no different. Lego is always popular, and so too is a backyard cricket set, though socks and undies always reign supreme!

What would you fill your own stocking with?

Oh ho, ho, ho, if I could gift myself a holiday, I would! Somewhere warm would be wonderful, a tropical island perhaps! I dream of escaping the perpetual snow.

Milk or beer? Shortbread or sausage roll? What do you really want people to leave out for you?

My reindeer need nourishment more so than I do. After all, they're the ones doing all the heavy lifting.

Plenty of water and a few carrots to munch on keep them going.

Personally, I enjoy a glass of milk and a fruit mince tart. Though you Aussies tend to spoil me with beer, which I must admit, in moderation, also goes down a treat!

Procrastination has its pros and cons.

One of its pros is that it gives you the maximum possible thinking time to come up with ideas.

The downside is if you leave things too late, you won't have enough time to execute those ideas adequately.

In the case of Christmas shopping, you may also find specific items are sold out. The 1996 film Jingle All the Way was based on this premise.

The plot revolves around a father who promises his young son the exact action figure he'd asked for but finds no alternatives when the popular toy is completely sold out.

There are still many options if you're looking to meet your social obligations and don't want to end up in the same position.

One of those is gift cards or vouchers. They're more personal than cash but provide greater freedom than accidentally getting the 'wrong' gift. Be mindful of a possible expiry period, though.

This could include a local gift card if there's one that's valid at participating stores in the area where they live, and it will encourage them to shop locally. It may also be an interesting talking point.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) collaborated with market research firm Roy Morgan to conduct a survey that found about 18 per cent of respondents intended to buy gift cards as Christmas presents.

That was only just behind the 20 per cent who said they intended to give toys and ahead of the 16 per cent who said they'd most likely be giving more practical items like clothing, shoes and sleepwear.

In terms of toys, retailers stock up heavily in the pre-Christmas period, so unless you made a difficult-to-keep promise, you should have a lot to choose from.

You will, however, want to think about what the intended recipient already has, how suitable it is for where they live, its age-appropriateness and whether it may be a hazard to any younger siblings.

Stuffed toys or books in the right age range are often good presents, or perhaps you know children who are more into action or electronics.

When it comes to clothing, ask the parents what size they are. Whoever does their washing will likely know (or can easily and discretely double-check).

In the same survey, the summary of which was published in early November, three-quarters of respondents said they'd probably shop for Christmas gifts at the same time as last year, while a fifth aspired to get their shopping done earlier.

Additionally, only one-third of shopping was expected to be online, with the rest done in-store.

Meanwhile, the expected average spend per gift shopper is down a little on last year, predicted to be around $650, whereas the figure for last year was about $700.

The survey somewhat explained this prediction with results that said 30 per cent of shoppers planned to reduce their Christmas gifting spending in 2023, 61 per cent intended to spend the same as last year, and only 9 per cent intended to spend more overall.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said this was consistent with what most people may have anticipated. "Many Australians are under significant financial pressure, and their Christmas gifting behaviour will reflect this," Mr Zahra said. "A big part of their buying mentality will be geared towards bang for their buck.

"Shoppers will actively seek out good deals, but they're still looking for gifts that reflect their personal values."

With shoppers spending more on Black Friday this year than ever (having spent less than usual in October), Mr Zahra's statement about seeking value holds true.

However, that predicted figure for total spending per Christmas shopper may be well off the mark, as people may have spent more. It just depends on who they've been spending that money on.