A Wren Says

Christmas is on December 25. I started to get targeted emails for Christmas gift ideas in mid-October. This seems a bit extreme. Call me a purist, but I like to experience my holidays one at a time. Preferably in chronological order. I haven’t even eaten all my Halloween candy, and I already have to create a gift list? And endure Christmas themed ads every three commercials? It just seems too early, but others will disagree.

It seems that there is a contingent of shoppers who have already begun thinking Christmas. They are already working through the lists for all of their loved ones. Because of this group of shoppers, stores and online retailers are working to meet those demands.

Asda noted that 1 in 5 of its shoppers had completed their Christmas shopping by the start of November. Andy Atkinson of Morrison’s pointed out that extending the period helps people budget their purchases better. Walmart and Target are starting even earlier to attract shoppers who may be looking for deals, in light of serious inflation has been of late. Early Christmas promotions is a way to address customers’ financial concerns and get them still shop. And some people claim that earlier Christmas just makes people happier.

David Katz, of Randa Apparel and Accessories, suggests that this could backfire. Starting Christmas sales early could just make customers feel less rushed. They can delay their purchases because they have the benefit of time. It is hard to feel the pressure of “I have to buy this right now” when Christmas is still three months away.

And if nothing else, it can just be irritating. Take the response to the UK retailer’s, Very, advertisement. It was posted October 7 and is causing a commotion.

While I can appreciate capitalism and the drive to capitalize on shoppers’ desires, I wish there were a way for stores to reach those shoppers who desire specific deals to ramp up for Christmas without forcing the rest of us begin a mad dash towards the holiday as well.

But maybe that’s just me. What are your thoughts?

Resources used:

Bizouati-Kennedy, Y. (September 28, 2022). Christmas in October: Here’s why Walmart & Target are starting holiday sales earlier than ever. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/christmas-october-why-walmart-target-162245070.html

Meyersohn, H. (September 29, 2022). Holiday sales creep has gotten out of hand. CNN Business. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/29/business/holiday-creep-walmart-target-amazon/index.html

  Vizard, S. (November 5, 2015). Does Christmas advertising really get earlier every year? Marketing Week. https://www.marketingweek.com/does-christmas-advertising-really-get-earlier-every-year/