Holiday Stuff Everywhere Already - YouLookFab Forum

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Holiday Stuff Everywhere Already

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Have you noticed how EARLY the holiday retail drive is this year - 2 months before Christmas.

Retail skipped Halloween. No Thanksgiving either. Straight to gift buying Christmas. The Nordies flagship in Seattle already has a huge gift wrapping service in stores! This usually happens in the last week of Nov. Christmas lights are appearing on the streets too. Hectic.

Margret mentioned at the recent YLF gathering that US retail has a full week and weekend LESS to sell for the holidays this year because Thanksgiving is very late - which shortened the season. I bet that has huge impact on bottom lines - especially with retail being very lucky business these days. This is a deliberate strategy.

Shopping

36 replies

Latest reply was from Stagiaire Fash

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I guess it must work on most consumers if they do it, huh? Personally, it turns me off. I think it's ridiculous to see Christmas wares in the stores before Halloween is here. But I don't really buy much of that kind of thing anyway.

When I was in Anthro the other day, a Christmas song came on and the SA and I both laughed. TOO SOON.

Christina F.

Veteran

Yes, I've noticed and I HAAATE it. I do start my Christmas shopping early but I don't need everything to be bedecked yet, and Christmas music wears thin after two months straight.

I love Christmas, but I keep that love alive by not celebrating until the day after Thanksgiving. But this year is weird for me too, with Thanksgiving being very late and the fact that I am traveling to Asia over that holiday and not returning until Dec 8th. Some parts of Asia have lots of Christmas stuff, but I don't think that will be the case where we will be. So I may start my celebration the weekend before Thanksgiving, when my husband and I will probably have an early holiday meal for ourselves.

*ahem* I guess I had a lot of thoughts on this subject.

nemosmom

Veteran

Our local Costco had Christmas trees on display right after Labor Day!! Starbucks is behind the ball though; their holiday drink menu doesn't launch until later this week.

EffortlessChic

I don’t think I like it. For years I was used to going from Labor Day (the unofficial end of summer) to seeing Halloween, then Thanksgiving and *then* Christmas stuff in stores. Seeing Christmas items after Labor Day made the accepted order of things go haywire in my brain
I miss the era of looking for off season decor and items online during the “wrong” season

Carla

Veteran

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October, but Remembrance Day (November 11th) is recognized and some folks have the day off. It has become an un-official early shopping day for Christmas. I did notice that the day after Halloween, the grocery store set up their outdoor holiday greenery display.

Kathie

Veteran

Our local mall was decorated for Christmas the weekend before Halloween. I was definitely not prepared to see reindeer and fake snow that early, even though I love the season from Thanksgiving through Three Kings' Day, and enjoy all the decorating and food that comes with it.

BlueJay

Veteran

Angie that's interesting about Thanksgiving being late and a week and weekend less time to promote the holidays this year.

ha! Runcarla, I noticed that too, that once Halloween was over the floodgates open for the start of all things Christmas (shopping, decorating, commercials, themed drinks, etc). I think there should be a by-law that you can't decorate until on or after Dec. 1.

In general, I find that society is always on to "the next thing." We need to enjoy the "now" more!

Anonymous

Not ready. It it is time to think of the wardrobe.

taylor

Veteran

Yep, I noticed! Even before Halloween they were filling shelves with Xmas decor and the trees were going up!
I don’t mind so much anymore because I have my Xmas decorations up by Thanksgiving . Last few years we have friends and family over for a big Thanksgiving feast and we sort of celebrate both .
They enjoy the early Xmas because we are out of town during Christmas and celebrate in California with another set of friends and family.

Anonymous

It all feels so rushed. Thanksgiving is such a big Holiday but like Angie said they skipped from Halloween to Christmas, very little fall decor even tv shows are already Christmas!
This early shopping means that late shoppers miss out on the hot items because by Black Friday there will be a huge shortage of stock compared to when these sales began around Thanksgiving; not October! I’ll probably be one of them missing out I’m not ready yet.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You lot are funny

I think Xmas right after Labor Day is a bit much.

Taylor, I like the way you celebrate!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I took this pic because I was surprised to see Halloween in Germany, but check out the Christmas tree on the side. The Thanksgiving explanation doesn’t apply here, obviously.

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Laura

(website)

Veteran

Yes! I was shipping a package at the UPS Store and they had posted signs saying that this year will be the shortest holiday shipping season in recent history. So if you mail gifts, make sure to jump on the early retail season!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

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Anonymous

Now that the time changed I'm ready for the Christmas lights to make driving at night less awful!
Bring. On. The. Velvet!
But No to the Christmas carols, etc for now.

Anonymous

Working in retail/wholesale, I'm good with it But as Carla reminded all you Americans , our Christmas season is unencumbered by Halloween (a non event at retail in Canada compared to the US) and Thanksgiving , which we are able to enjoy much earlier . I love having 2 months to enjoy winter/lead-up to the end of the year, and started decorating my home (not for Christmas, but for winter) Nov 1. We kick off the holdiay season here with our annual cocktail party the last weekend of Nov and I'm already thinking about what to wear, what to serve, how to decorate etc. I don't need to hear holiday music yet, but I love seeing stores all decorated and done up .

kkards

Veteran

as you mentioned, part of the issue is that in the US there is 1 less week between Thanksgiving (aka Black Friday) and Christmas this year. so its a scramble to get consumers shopping early. and it doesn't help that Hanukkah (a holiday that moves around a lot) is almost month later this year as well

Cardiff girl

Veteran

In the uk it’s getting earlier every year especially as we don’t have thanksgiving .Halloween and Xmas stuff all together,in fact I saw a skeleton with a Xmas hat and lights on in a shop the week before Halloween.l hate it ,complete madness as far as I am concerned.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh it is so much worse than the shopping... the Lifetime 24x7 Christmas Movies have started already!

Sal

Veteran

I think it is a fine line for when is appropriate and when is not. I know some people who prefer to shop early (ie have shopping finished by now). That does not suit me - I prefer to do some a bit closer to Christmas myself for sentimental reasons.

And in terms of sales and discounts, they seem to be ongoing and not following the traditional pattern at all. Sadly in NZ we do not celebrate Thanksgiving but we do have Black Friday. I don't want to poach Thanksgiving...

Helena

Veteran

My son already busted out the Christmas songs and has a small tree in his room *rolls eyes* ... I feel very strongly that Christmas season doesn't start until the Santa Claus parade in Toronto, which is November 17th, so I refuse to acknowledge any of it until then!

Anonymous

We passed by a house on our way to a historic car museum this past weekend that was all decked out for Christmas. The house next door to them had their Halloween decorations out. DH and I don't buy for each other, but we get something special for the 2 of us every year. Last year it was a Keurig coffee machine that can make espresso, lattes, and cappuccinos. I love that coffee maker. This year we are thinking about taking a cooking class at a Italian grocers in our area.

Also, cannot wait for the Macy's Day parade to kick off the holidays!

RobinF

Veteran

My husband is in retail and every year I complain about the early decorations. He says they can take a while to put up and that is one reason, but I'm not convinced it is the main reason. I usually avoid any music or decorations until after Thanksgiving but with the short season this year I may let it happen a week early. It does cheer up a gloomy fall!

Anonymous

I LOVE Christmas time. I LOVE Christmas shopping. I am completely on board with this.

I actually thought about putting out some of my Christmas decorations yesterday evening. I didn't. But I might after this post!!! YAY.

LaPed

Veteran

I will say, the merchandising I've encountered these past few days is pretty artless -- shiny new Christmas stuff right next to 50% off Halloween clearance. Manages to make both look less appealing!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

In NZ, no Thanksgiving, but for some reason the Christmas stuff is appearing earlier and earlier and this year some decorations were there in October. When BJ1111 and I had our mini meet-up they were all in the window of the heritage department store.
I haven’t given all that a thought as concentrating on our Vietnam trip

Marilyn

Veteran

Oh yes.....I was in Anthro on Sunday and their Christmas tree was up and surrounded by holiday stuff. Same at Hudson's Bay. At least the Christmas music wasn't playing yet.

Mainelady

Veteran

The holiday season makes me happy, but I like to keep them in order and enjoy Halloween, then Thanksgiving, before jumping into the Christmas festivities. That said, I am a Hallmark Movie girl and I am very happy to watch a new holiday movie as soon as it airs.

DD DIL and I will do a little holiday shopping, this weekend, because that is when the 3 of us have time together. We are planning to our annual Christmas Cookie Baking Day and of course that means shopping for ingredients, toppings and festive food packaging now.
I won’t begin decorating until the day after Thanksgiving, but as soon as the first snowflakes begin to fall, my mind does start wandering in the direction of all things merry and bright. Joy is in the moment and whenever those moments come, I will take them and not get too worried about the date on the calendar.

JAileen

Veteran

I’ve already seen the car ad where there’s a giant bow on the car. I can’t imagine giving someone a car for Christmas.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. They can’t seem to figure out how to commercialize it.

I’ve thought about what I might wear on Christmas. I bought a sweater with polar bears on it.

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