to not understand why shops have christmas decorations up already?

[deeedeee]

About half the shops in out town have christmas trees in their windows already, and christmas decorations. Some have had them for a few weeks already. A shop I was in today was even giving away mince pies on the counter.

I don't get it. Why? It's not even december. It's just depressing seeing christmas stuff everywhere, makes it so blatantly commercial.

I can understand putting up some lights and sparkle, some winter decorations maybe look nice and brighten the dark nights, but the full on christmas shebang for 2 months?

Do you work in retail? why do you do it? Does it really increase your takings? Do you not feel embarrassed about it?

and actually, do you like it? why?

help me understand!!

...makes it so blatantly commercial.

They're shops. They're all about the commercial.

Christmas stock gets ordered in August. Shops want to put it out as soon as possible to get their money back on what they spent on stock.

Done to death now

What's driving me mad is nearest and dearest constantly texting me to find out what the children would like for Christmas, or calling from a shop to see if they should get 'X' while they are there. I know it's really kind and a first world problem, but this started in October! I appreciate people want to get organised, but we haven't even had a chance to think about it and it's making me feel irritated because a)how do they have so much time to waft around shops? and b) it's making Christmas feel too much about getting exactly what we want. Grrr. Rant over! But I do like looking at Christmassy shops :-)

I've nearly finished my Christmas shopping

.. I'll get my coat

I work in retail, we put up our decorations in the first week of december and I'm not one for being overly festive, but I love our decorations, they're pretty tasteful and look gorgeous in the evening when it's a little darker. Thankfully none of the awful christmas music yet, the christmas playlist bugs me.

Our town centre had their Christmas light switch on event last week.

I put ours up today. It's really hard because so much depends on christmas trade, especially if you are small.
We have Christmas specific stock. If I sell out I will miss out. If I order too much I'm stuck with expensive stock I can't shift. So if I can sell some now I get a chance to figure out more accurately if my stock level is close enough before my last chance to re-order around the 5th.

We went today as people are asking for Christmas gifts. I'm not doing carols until the last minute.....

Not everyone wants to leave things till the last minute! I don't usually like shopping but I do like to get ahead with Christmas shopping before it all gets too crazy. Decorations and Christmassy music make it a bit more bearable.

It's Dec next week so I don't think it's that early. Visiting Xmas light switch on tonight so I'm prob not best person to comment...

bored with all the sparkly shit already. If it started in mid-December, as it used to, I would enjoy it, but all the fun has long gone.

and then it all disappears just before the 25th, which is the worst, darkest time of the year and the time we could really do with lights and sparkle.

madness.

YABU to say it's for 2 months...it's only a month til Christmas! The Christmas decorations are up because Halloween is over and it's the next seasonal thing. People are getting gifts organised. Actually it helps me get in the mood. I did object when our Co-op had Christmas stuff out in September though!!

I love the irony that a complaint about premature Christmas activities is made in a general board before the start of Advent !

OP the shops are being as reasonable as you are when you start a thread outside the Christmas topic before December

I like seeing the shops all decorated with their lights and tinsel, especially on a dull day like some lately.

The ones selling Christmas stuff I totally understand.

The ones I don't understand are estate agents etc having a Christmas window display in November (not linked to any promotion or anything). I work in an office and our decorations will probably go up next Friday

YABU. It's only four weeks away and shops are selling Christmas stuff. Many people need to buy Christmas stuff and since it is harmless then I see no reason to be grumpy.

Come on, winter's miserable enough. What's wrong with a bit of Christmas by the end of November? Shops are a business and they need to make money and pay wages.

makes it so blatantly commercial

Damn those retail outlets making commercially-minded changes to their stock and merchandising. They put that stuff out because it makes money, obviously.

Sorry I didn't know there was a christmas topic.

As I said, I'm all for lights and a wee bit of sparkle in the dark nights. But you can do that without mince pies and christmas trees! You can even have some christmas stock out ( our local food shop has had their christmas biscuits and bits and bobs out for a couple of week, but just on the shelves without any fanfare). Fair enough.

But christmas trees in the windows, tinsel , santa and mince pies?? really?? The majority like this from the end of october?

and sorry, i didn't know it had been done to death. I was just feeling the need to understand this because it's making me feel annoyed/ sad. Every time another shop puts up their trees my children get more and more excited and by christmas they are so hyped up it's horrible.

And why do people "like to get organised?" and if you do, do you really need all the shops looking like christmas eve to do it? Can't you just go shopping and by presents without all the shebang?

and sorry, i didn't know it had been done to death. I was just feeling the need to understand this because it's making me feel annoyed/ sad. Every time another shop puts up their trees my children get more and more excited and by christmas they are so hyped up it's horrible.

And why do people "like to get organised?" and if you do, do you really need all the shops looking like christmas eve to do it? Can't you just go shopping and by presents without all the shebang?

Don't take your children to the shops. That might help.

Have none of the answers helped you at all?

they have to walk past the shops everyday on the way to school.

Yes the replies have helped, that's why I referenced some of them in my reply :-)

I like to get organised so I can spread out the cost, so I can spend December doing nice things that are going on instead of shopping.
It means I put more thought into gifts and spend less as I've got time to research it.

I could do that without Christmas decorations in shops, but surely a lot of that is a way of displaying their goods? It also feels nice!!

It's pretty obviously to make money.

Oh what kind of shop do you have Pag?

I remember ages ago you talked about getting a shop for your son.