To think it's way too early for Christmas???

[Fabiagracefawndorn]

Have been to the Range yesterday - Christmas is everywhere. Decorations, cards, craft supplies.

Seriously? It still feels like summer. Just why?

The downside for me personally is that they are destroying the special feeling about the festive season.

AIBU?

The problem is i get immune to it and think oh that's not for ages and end up doing everything at the last minute anyway. I wish everyone would live in the moment.

Miss - our Asda have mince pies all year round! Utter weirdos

That reminds me, I didn't have one single mince pie last Christmas because everyone kept eating them before I could get to them. Maybe I'll stock up a secret stash now.

Not sure I’d be happy to be surrounded by Christmas as early as September eg songs, cards, decorations but OTOH, I’ve just finished my DDs Xmas shopping as I couldnt be arsed with the drama in December. Haven’t bought anything to do with ‘Christmas’ Per se but it’s usally cheaper to take advantage of the sales.

Now that’s done, in my head it’s all about Halloween - costumes, few decorations for house and of course, the sweets

Well shops can't keep everything in a warehouse until 1st December!

Much prefer the early start, it makes budgeting much easier and helps me get over no more hot weather!

I personally shop for Christmas all year round because there are so many kids in the family, I used to do all the adults too but it cost way to much.

I used to work in retail and it all came out about now. Lots of great offers will be on between now and Christmas so it's handy to get the bargains!

I quite like it, I saw the matalan range the other day and got a bit exited!

Christmas sells..... and it comes into the stores in such huge volume that the only way to store it all and keep it moving through is to get it out on the shop floor as soon as it arrives!!!

And there's also all last years unsold tat to get rid of too

If you are sending cards abroad, now is the time to do it
I sent them out in November once and they arrived to majority of people in January...

But yeah. It is bit too early for shops to go full on Christmassy

Well shops can't keep everything in a warehouse until 1st December!

They absolutely could if they wanted to. But they don't want to because it's their job to get us to spend. And there are people who are totally sucked into the whole circus of buying, and buying, and buying, and even more buying.

Not so much the people who have to spread the expense over several months, but those people who go OTT with decorating their houses, or plan a whole new colour scheme every year.

I think the craft thing is a red herring too. Dedicated craft shops have "christmas things" year round. Red, green and gold card stock is a staple. Any patchwork/quilting shop will stock Christmas prints year round. Supermarkets and places like the Range will get in a smaller selection of specifically Christmas products but I'd argue that those aren't aimed at the serious crafter who makes all their own cards or all their own presents - they'll have started months ago as it's a year round thing. It's about selling to those people who have bought into the idea that Christmas is about being at home, doing crafts and "making memories".

Might start a thread about ways to avoid the tat-fest. My top tips are storing up things to watch on the Sky planner or Netflix, and podcasts on the car radio through your phone rather than radio.

I agree - I don't want to see Christmas stuff until Halloween is fully over.

I LOVE christmas but i agree that september is too early.

My local supermarket has just started selling minced pies but they have a best before date of october so its not like you can buy them and keep them for christmas.

Thanks to another thread, I've booked tickets to see Santa 🎅🎅.
I agree,its too early.

There is a luxury department store near my office that opens its Christmas dept in late August (it was late July a few years back). That is up on the top floor, and while it's a reasonable size and reasonably prominent THERE, you DO have to go all the way up to find it. And there is no other bit of Christmas around the store yet and won't be until at least end October, more likely November.

This store is famous for its window displays at Christmas - and they won't be in place until late November.

So while it is there for those who want it, it really isn't "in your face", and the only Christmas music there is if someone has set off a musical box or snowglobe.

I admit, I went in last week to explore the decorations - because they are always gorgeous and the nice ones are always sold out before October. I am pondering getting a couple of new ones (lovely peacock colours), but I will wait until next week before deciding properly.

Other than that, on the main (posh) shopping street in the capital city, there are no other signs of Christmas yet. There are a few decorations in the luxury goods shops - Waterford Crystal and Belleek China types - but they are there all year round as part of the general offerings to US and Asian tourists in particular. And they are part of the normal display of all sorts of goods from those types of brands, not a specific Christmas display.

The outdoor shops are selling off tents and getting in hiking and skiing gear.

The fashion stores are starting to have jumpers and trousers, and lovely stripey wrap dresses.

The chemists are still displaying sun lotion and hay fever remedies, although "care of the feet" displays are getting more prominent. And I did hear one pharmacy assistant talking about the "winter skin care promotion" starting in 2 weeks time.

The card shops are still full of birthday, weddings, new baby, and exam congratulations cards, with a display of "good luck in school/university" where the Communion/confirmation ones were in late spring. No Christmas cards available yet.

Jewellers still have normal displays, with fake flowers amongst the diamonds rather than holly.

Tiger still has jolly fruit and Pride themes going on.

So if you are looking to avoid Christmas, apart from 1 department on the 3rd floor in the luxury Department store, please come to Dublin and enjoy!!

please come to Dublin and enjoy!!

Thanks for the invite BiddyPop😂😂
I love Dublin.

I buy cards, wrapping paper and start buying presents from beginning of sept, just so I can spread the cost, I'm not on a particularly high wage, so like to start early so it's not stressful nearer the time.
I won't talk about Christmas, allow Christmas songs/music/movies or decorations before the 1st December though 😊

Spreading the cost is all well and good but there's nothing to stop people just putting money aside until nearer the time.

It's more than 'if people didn't buy it, it wouldn't be there'. I think it's because all the shops don't want other shops to get in first with putting the stuff out, and people buying it and then not buying things in their shop, so they all just put their stuff out earlier and earlier so they're not later than all the other shops and risk having people already having bought elsewhere.

A bit like when the winter coats start appearing in July/August. The shops must think people are chomping at the bit to buy a winter coat and if they don't get their's out first, everyone will just buy the first coat they see, wherever they see it.

Can I just point out in my earlier post that the Dept store with its Christmas Dept already open has actually pushed the opening date of that BACK in recent years - it used to be July and now is very late August!

I like to do a bit of early prep.... get the Christmas outings booked (Kew Gardens is already mostly sold out! I missed getting tickets) and compile ideas lists from about now. Otherwise it's all systems go from November 6th. Actually I start getting excited about to on my way back from the fireworks display at the Scout Hut.

I love this time of year....endless things to look forward to, it's a blur from now until Jan 2nd, then a bit of a hunker down before Spring.....

Bikinis, sun cream and sunglasses start appearing in the shops around March, 3 months before we need them in june. Its no different.

I agree it is too early. Thinking about Christmas travel arrangements OK, nothing else.

Surely a tax on such promotions before November 1st could be introduced, as if it is so profitable for stores and especially online retailers to do this, let's use some of this to help fund the NHS and services provided over Christmas for the homeless.

hmm, I love Christmas and plan it all year, buy presents, plan activities etc., but I would rather not have all the specific Christmas stuff out in the shops till after Halloween, the two just don't go together for me. I think the best compromise is to have a few bits a little out of the way for those who wan to to do everything early and then come out in full force nearer the date with music, window displays etc. once everybody is in the mood (well, except for haters of Christmas, they just have to suffer through it I fear, poor things!)

Just this

It’s the same every single year and it is just plain capitalism. As soon as Christmas is over, they’re flogging Easter things. I don’t think it was always this way, it’s definitely got worse over the past decade or so.

Bikinis, sun cream and sunglasses start appearing in the shops around March, 3 months before we need them in june. Its no different

Erm, holidays can happen at any time of year and even the summer holiday window is significantly longer than 1 day. You’re comparing apples with frogs.