Decking The Halls Creeps Up Early

I ducked into the Apple store at a local mall last weekend to get my iPhone fixed. Lining the mall, the trees were trimmed, the holiday tunes were humming and credit cards were working overtime. This was just a few days after Halloween. I was having a hard time conjuring up warm holiday spirit feelings like the ones elicited by the photo above. In fact, I channeled Scrooge to anyone who would listen…like the poor people that had just come in to check their email because they were still out of power from a freak snowstorm.

It seems the holiday season encroaches earlier and earlier each year. No wonder this time of year has been dubbed, the Holiday Creep – the commercial phenomenon created by retailers that accelerates the start of the holiday shopping season.

Yes, it’s that time again. If you’ve ventured into the stores lately, you’d better watch out and you’d better not pout. But not all stores sign on early. A while back, Apartment Therapy posted a notice from Nordstrom Department Store that read:

Nordstrom’s is obviously not the norm. They even have an eco-friendly policy and a great shoe department.

According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 40 percent of Americans plan to start their holiday shopping before Halloween, and nearly 40 percent start in November. So, not only does the holiday creep wreck havoc on our waistlines, it’s invading the spirit by prancing in before the turkey.

Instead of the holiday creep with its ceramic Santas and faux-pine trees, right about now couldn’t we just gear up for a season of peace? I could really get behind this. I might even break my retail diet, hit a few local stores, and throw up a peaceful decoration or two. It’s much more dazzling, and so much less creepy, don’t you think?

Is the early arrival of holiday hoopla in some stores an attempt to cash in over a longer period of time to make up for lagging sales? If that’s the case, should consumers follow suit by jumping on the bandwagon and decking the halls earlier? When does Rudolph start ringing the sleigh bells in your nest?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Angie V.

12:28PM PDT on Mar 12, 2013

Thanks...

March 12
send a green star

Duane B.

9:04AM PST on Feb 13, 2013

Thank you for sharing.

February 13
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Roger M.

11:30AM PST on Dec 10, 2012

Thanks.

December 10
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Nancy H.

2:16PM PST on Nov 22, 2011

And just for this very reason....I'll shop Nordstroms for Christmas! Alot of people have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas and have made it all so materialistic. I usually give out 1 present to everyone on my list and if it's not handmade it'll be from Nordstoms this year!

November 22
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Cindy B.

12:17AM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Yea, NORDSTROM! I have been so INCENSED, so FURIOUS, over the Christmas displays, which began well before HALLOWEEN, that I just don't go into any store anymore except grocery stores. In a few years there will simply be Christmas displays and decorations year-round and that'll be that. (Meanwhile, I'll have moved somewhere that doesn't celebrate Christmas at all.)

November 21
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Kris G.

8:34PM PST on Nov 14, 2011

Thanks for the article!

November 14
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Laura B.

3:18PM PST on Nov 14, 2011

Good job Nordstrom. I feel the same way. Let us have Thanksgiving before Christmas. Heck, let us have Halloween before we have Christmas. I mean the commercial part of course, the peace and good will we could have all the time.

Sue M.

7:28AM PST on Nov 14, 2011

thanks.

Giovanna M.

4:15AM PST on Nov 14, 2011

I akso hate seeing Christmas deocrations on early November. Well done Nordstrom.

KS G.

4:14PM PST on Nov 12, 2011

Thanks for the article.