The personal touch at Otto Wurz

With all the commercialization of Christmas these days, sometimes it seems like each present looks the same as the last.

But at one Hamilton store, staff take a personal pride in making sure your gift is as individual as you are.

The staff at Otto Wurz will not only take the time to help you choose a gift but will hand-wrap it with one of their signature bows, and even deliver it if necessary.

Christopher S Edwards, creative director, said: “We offer a personalized service.

“First of all, I think our shopping atmosphere is more laidback because it’s away from the crush of the main drag.

Gift wrap

“We also try to make suggestions for those ‘hard-to-buy-for’ people. We enjoy doing it and like the challenge.

“We are also flexible about helping people, within reason. For example, if someone wants to come in at 8:30am before work we can be here.

“We don’t do late-night openings but we will hold the door if people can’t get here until after work, until 5:15pm for example.

“We have lots of parking around us and we also have our ‘drive-by’ — our double yellow line, where you can pull in. We open our back door and put the item in your car, and away you go.

“So we try to be accommodating, and can also deliver for free, after working hours.

“We are a family store and so we try to please all our customers.”

Mr Edwards said: “We also have our gift wrap, with a selection of Christmas papers and our hand-strung bows.

“This is a signature of ours and so you can always tell if it’s an Otto Wurz package sitting under your tree, by the bow.

“We also try to be creative with our table decorations, for example, we have wind-up toys as an alternative to crackers.

“We also have lots of novelty gifts for office party gift exchanges or stocking fillers.

“As for hostess gifts, we have a selection of guest towels, boxes of cocktail napkins and candles, all on a Christmas theme.”

Otto Wurz, 5 Front Street, Hamilton. Call 295-1247.