Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why should I buy a filled Christmas stocking for the woman I love?
A. Whether it is your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother or daughter, we have a filled Christmas stocking for her. We have chosen stocking fillers that are both spoiling and practical. Part of curating an ethical selection of gifts is making sure that those presents don't add to the clutter in our lives. Presents become clutter when they are neither useful nor beautiful. We try to keep to things that most women use and we avoid strong scents or design statements so that our gifts can fit into her lifestyle and around her taste. Our filled Christmas stockings are curated to be universally appealing to all ages of women and we provide a variety so that you can buy a stocking for both your mother and partner and they are not identical. Please always feel free to ask to customise our stockings, we make them up to order so we can be flexible.
Q. All the filled Christmas stockings seem similar...
A. You are right, all the stockings are similar because they all follow the same themes of (1) improving sleep and (2) sustainable luxury and (3) natural wellbeing. Sleep is the simplest, easiest, cheapest and most sustainable beauty and wellbeing treatment. 'Sustainable luxury' changes daily because the market is growing and we are delighted to see that. For us, it is about introducing sustainable alternatives to plastic, promoting new brands that put planet before profit and, of course, treats (often in the form of chocolate) that are produced responsibly.
Natural wellbeing is harnessing the power of plants, wool, silk, beeswax, honey to reduce our demand for synthetic materials and especially those made from fossil fuels.
Q. The stockings seem quite expensive, why is this?
A. All our gifts are produced ethically. The reality is that ethical production on a small, sustainable scale is not cheap. We price our stockings very simply: we add together the RRP (recommended retail price) of each product and then we add a charge to cover gift wrapping and the stocking (this varies each year but is usually between £20 and £35). We have a mix of stockings, some are handmade by FabricWorks (a London-based social enterprise) using remnants purchased from interior designers.
Q. How will each gift be wrapped?
A. Our wrappers are trained by Jane Means (the official queen of gift wrapping) and so all our presents are beautifully presented. Each year we set higher standards in terms of materials, choosing recyclable paper and biodegradable ribbon. We use as little plastic as possible and aim to eliminate it entirely.
Q. Why I am required to choose a Refill or Filled Stocking?
A. This is primarily for returning customers who would like to reuse a stocking from a previous purchase. The Refill option means you will receive the presents listed for the particular stocking, each wrapped and ready to be placed inside a stocking at home. £25 will be refunded (as this covers the cost of the fabric stocking, the label and the extra postage and packaging required for a Filled Stocking). We prefer new customers to start with a full Filled Stocking because that is what our company is all about.
Q. How do you decide what to include in your collection?
A. We research products that are kind to people and planet. The good news is that this was tricky in 2017 (the first collection) but is so much easier in 2023 - recycled and biodegradable packaging, suppliers who support social causes, natural ingredients, organic cotton, low-plastic... these are all now so much more commonplace. In fact, it is now a battle with greenwashing. We have absolutely no affiliation with any brands, we receive no preferential pricing, products are selected purely on their provenance, quality and performance.
Q. Can I simply copy you?
A. Yes, you can, please do. We want you to discover the brands we have selected. A word of warning: our collection is unique, you simply cannot buy all our gifts from one retailer or in one location - and that includes Amazon. So, if you do choose to copy us, do it for the enjoyment, not to save time or money. We believe that you will not be able to replicate one of our filled stockings for less money than we charge. If you can, we will eat a stocking.
Q. I like your stuff, where should I go shopping?
A. We research products via the retail market (always keen to see what Liberty London has on its shelves in the beauty department). We also go to trade fairs and have access to business to business marketplaces where we can seek out ethical brands. It has been rather pleasing over the years to see our choices pop up in other respected retailers such as Fortnum and Mason, Liberty and Wolf and Badger (where we have similar buying values). Wolf and Badger is probably our favourite luxury one stop shop.
Q. Do you have a price guarantee?
A. Yes, if you can recreate one of our stockings and our service for a lower price, please tell us. We intend to never be beaten on price.
Q. What happens if I order a stocking and then change my mind?
A. Email us (hello@filledstocking.com). We understand that budgeting at Christmas is always tricky and we understand impulse purchasing and we would hate for any of our customers to suffer from buyer's remorse. If we have not yet dispatched your order, we are very happy to cancel and give you a full refund immediately. If we have sent the order, then it is a case of getting it back to us in time for us to resell it. That is slightly more tricky but email us because we always want to help.
Q. What do you do with my personal data?
A. We use the address you give us for delivery (if using Royal Mail, we sometimes have to amend the address to be consistent with the Royal Mail database). We use your email address to communicate with you and we give Royal Mail your email and phone number so that they can keep you up to date with delivery. If we use UPS or DPD, we would do the same. We never pass on your details to any other third party for marketing purposes. We sell ethical Christmas presents so we are also ethical about data and your privacy. We use the payment solution provided by STRIPE (default payment provider for Wix.com websites), we have no access to payment information data. For a longer answer, please consult our Privacy Policy.
Q. Rosie, what is the point of The Filled Stocking Company?
A. LOL, the question I am asked by my family rather too often. When I started, I thought the point of my venture was to enable people to give a present that they might not have the time or ability to put together themselves. I also wanted to bring the joy of a Christmas Stocking to women who work hard at Christmas. The process of finding a stocking, feeling it, opening it - the process is part of the gift - and I think it is such a happy way to start Christmas Day. I sometimes hear from recipients of my stockings and it is wonderful when they tell me that she has bought more of something she found in my collection, that makes it all worthwhile and that makes me feel that I am playing a tiny part in making the world a better place.
If you still have a question, please email hello@filledstocking.com and we will add it (and the answer) to this page.