The festive season is almost over and with only a few shopping days left until Christmas, we’re reminding people that they may be entitled to discounts with certain companies just by being a shareholder.

We’ve compiled the following list* to help people keep costs down this Christmas by using discounts they might not have known existed.

Books, books, books

Books come top of the Christmas list for many as most people know someone who enjoys a good read. However, some people may not know that if they own one share in Bloomsbury (priced at just £2.81) then they can get 35% off the recommended retail price on all Bloomsbury books. That’s Grandad’s present ticked off!

Shop ‘til you drop

N Brown Group Plc is the umbrella company for the likes of Jacamo, J D Williams and Simply Be. It offers shareholders up to 20% off purchases made from the Group’s catalogues – perfect for those looking for presents or buying themselves a new outfit for the Christmas party. For those looking to treat a loved one to a luxury present, such as a designer handbag, shareholders in Mulberry, who hold at least 500 shares, are entitled to a 20% discount card to use in most Mulberry stores.

Eating out

If people are hitting the high street and need to rest and refuel mid-shop, then they may want to look for a Marston pub if they own shares in it. Shareholders can get 20% off food and accommodation at some of its pubs. Likewise, those with shares in The Restaurant Group receive discount vouchers (up to 25% off) at Chiquito, Frankie & Benny's and Garfunkel's, which may be useful for those meeting up with family and friends over the festive period.

Some other shareholder perks

Discounts and investment costs shown are correct as of 17 December. These can change at any time. The above excludes the cost of buying and holding the shares, including dealing and account fees. Your capital is at risk and investments should not be made solely for the shareholder perk on offer.

A number of companies offer shareholder ‘perks’ or ‘benefits’ generally in the form of discounts on their products or services. While investors should never invest solely for the discounts on offer, there are companies offering shareholder perks without requiring significant investment. With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, if you do own shares in some companies then it’s worth checking their websites to see if you can get a discount. It could help keep costs down at Christmas and make your money go further.

*Some companies may have terms and conditions with discounts. For more information please visit our Shareholder Perks page.

All information given including prices, yields and our opinion is correct at the time of publication. Our opinions on investments can change at any time and for our latest view please go to www.share.com. To understand how our Investment research team arrive at their views please read our Investment Research Policy.