<p>It’s sunny and 87 degrees today in suburban Philadelphia. I stopped in at my local CVS to pick up a prescription and noticed what was going on in the front windows. Two CVS staffers were loading up the main window with large wooden nutcrackers and elves in red on ladders. </p>
<p>I saw** red ** sure enough! I asked whose decision it was to decorate for Christmas the first weekend of fall, and was told “corporate.” A nice clerk gave me the number to call for CVS customer service.</p>
<p>I called, while still inflamed, and got a very nice customer service rep who said the district manager would be in touch with me within a couple of days. I told him I would be watching those windows, and do not want to do business with a store that robs me of enjoyment of the current season.</p>
<p>I SO appreciate Nordstrom’s policy of not decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. </p>
<p>Is this a lost cause? If customers took their business to stores that were more seasonally appropriate, could we make a difference? I feel like setting up a picket line outside CVS protesting these windows.</p>
<p>I agree with you completely. I don’t think just not shopping at the offending stores is enough though. I think a letter writing campaign would have to accompany it. And while we’re at it, could I please be able to buy a bathing suit in August when I realize last year’s suit is worn out?</p>
<p>When I was last at Costco on August 30th, they already had a Christmas aisle… wrapping paper, decor, lights. I couldn’t believe it. But it wasn’t in the window like CVS.</p>
<p>H was a retail drug store manager for 20 years. These decisions are definitely coming from corporate. Store had to be re-set for Valentine’s by Dec. 28th. They don’t want to miss any potential dollars from those early-season buyers. It’s all market-driven analysis. Annoying, yes! Likely to change, no.</p>
<p>I always thought the Xmas decorations right after Halloween were bad and too early. But your experience today takes the cake. I mean they are skipping fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving! At that rate, they may as well leave up last year’s XMas decorations and never take 'em down! Yuck.</p>
<p>no WAY! Are you serious? That leaves me speechless.</p>
<p>Market-driven analysis. If everyone did that, we’d get so burned out on the holidays people would just stop buying. </p>
<p>My experience with ‘corporate analysis’ is that it’s a few folks sitting in a room, making super fast unsubstantiated decisions, based on almost no data or with data but no one actually knows anything about statistical analysis in a way that is useful.</p>
<p>But it’s almost fall! That means Halloween! You can’t skip over Halloween! All those cool spider webs and creepy skulls and crossbones and cavity causing candy.</p>
<p>I saw the military band played Christmas music in front of the Capitol during a hot and humid day of August a decade ago.</p>
<p>But this is not the worst. Imagine people wearing Santa Claus outfit in Australia during the real Chirstmas season - the Australian summer time.</p>
<p>starbright–of course you’re right! I didn’t say it was statistically correct market analysis. Nope, I’m sure it’s head honcho committee driven analysis. </p>
<p>Trust me, Christmas in August is even more annoying when your bleary eyed, working 24/7 H is in charge of it. Retail management is for the young and non-family-inclined. Thank goodness for the internet–I don’t see too many Christmas displays.</p>
<p>I know right? I saw that stuff today when i ventured out from my cave. I mean come on, its not even halloween yet, i would like to enjoy that first.</p>
<p>When I saw Halloween stuff in early August at Bath and Body Works, I thought, oh no, don’t remind me of my birthday when I’m still sunbathing by the pool…</p>
<p>Yet, to skip over my birthday right to Christmas? Downright offensive to young Halloween babies like me. But when I’m 60 and don’t want to be reminded of my birthday making me a year older, I may accept that. :)</p>
<p>I’m fine with the talk about spring fashions. After all, early fall is traditionally the time when designers are having their fashion weeks to show off what will be hitting stores in a few months. What I’m not fine with is when the spring merchandise starts showing up in the stores at the time when I’m desperately looking for fall clothes and boots. But reindeer and Santas in store windows in September?! That’s really disgusting!!!</p>
<p>Another October birthday here - Wegmans (the big grocery chain here) put up a polite sign last year next to their holiday display in October, something to the effect of “we are doing this to accomodate our customers who prefer to get this shopping done early”. While I appreciate this thought (I am DONE by Thanksgiving and celebrate the entire Advent season the way it should be, preaparing at home), I can see how others could be upset.</p>
<p>That being said, I bought some cool Hockey ornaments from the display at Kohls this week and stashed them away, to bring out when others are whining in early December that they are already sold out…</p>
<p>This has been going on for a long time. I still remember having S at the mall food court as a toddler (he’s now a college freshman).</p>
<p>He started pointing excitedly down the corridor, exclaiming Crithmas! Crithmas!, and lo and behold, Filenes was putting up their tree ornamentation displays. In mid September.</p>
<p>Every year I vow to do this, and every year I end up running around frantically at the last minute. I really would love to handle it the way you do-it would be soooo much more meaningful.</p>
<p>I was in Bloomingdales this week and they had a sign saying they were putting up their Christmas decorations this month also. I turned around and walked out!</p>
<p>Around here Christmas decorations go up like clockwork the day after Halloween. I worked in a shopping mall once and they had us stay after the mall closed on Halloween to put up the Christmas decorations so they’d all be up when we opened the next day. I can’t imagine skipping fall, around here people really do the most holiday decorating for the fall season. Once it snows people stop caring as much.</p>
<p>On the flip side, I can’t imagine being that upset about it. If people were setting up their christmas lights and lawn reindeer in September it would bug me, but I don’t really care what the stores do.</p>