to wonder where all the Christmas tat at the shopshas gone?

[AngelicaElizaAndPeggy]

Went to town yesterday with a good.mind to spend too much money on friffily bits like fancy baubles, candles and (sod it) some Christmassy cushions for my front room.

There were a few bits and pieces but mostly just empty shelves or shelves where things had been spread out to make it look fuller. Tried to find a sparkly party dress for my daughter and there was just nothing there, really.

Has it all been bought already? Or has it just not arrived? Was a bit disappointed - don't buy much tat usually but got myself all psyched up!

Lots of people put their decorations up at the weekend. You snooze you lose (I've bought it all)

I wonder too if shops have been wary of another lockdown being suddenly imposed in December and being forced to close with a load of seasonal stock still on the shelves. I don't think it'll happen now but that may have been a factor in decisions earlier.

Popped into Matalan today and the Christmas section was almost empty. Staff were removing the stands.

@Beowulfa

Always a Christmas tat table/corner in charity shops this time of year.

I'm in Oz, love charity shops and have been doing the rounds this week. Every shop has a huge display with cards, decorations, candles, platters, mugs, table napkins.

@ScouseQueen

I wonder too if shops have been wary of another lockdown being suddenly imposed in December and being forced to close with a load of seasonal stock still on the shelves. I don't think it'll happen now but that may have been a factor in decisions earlier.

That hadn’t actually occurred to me but I am sure you are right. It would explain both why there wasn’t much in the first place and why there is even less now.

Home Bargains and the big garden centres have loads around here (Midlands).
Also Waitrose had loads of candles and cards/gifts.

@Beowulfa

Always a Christmas tat table/corner in charity shops this time of year.

The charity shop I volunteer for has sold out of donated Christmas tat already.

We were closed for three weeks last November, then closed again on Christmas Eve and didn't open again until something like 25th April. Usually we see an influx of the donate decorations, mugs, place settings, DVDs, Santa hats in January/February and this year we had none of that. We usually have about 50 or 60 crates of stuff stored up ready to go - this year we had about 12.

I think it's less about supply issues and more about retailers being twitchy about potential closures, or even just changing shopping patterns and not wanting to be stuck with loads of stuff they can't shift.

And there should be a move away from buying tat for the sake of tat anyway.

Supply chains and a general move of opinion towards less throwaway tat, I imagine.

Also many shops are still trying to shift stock they didn't flog over lockdown, with the uncertainty when it would have been time of whether to order stuff for Christmas a lot probably played it safe and didn't order as much. Plenty of tat in the usual suspects though- B&M etc.

We seem to be opposite - less food in than usual - no wrapping paper less organised with presents.

Us too! It's suddenly dawned on me this week how little I've done for Christmas. I've hardly started shopping - got nothing so far for my mum, dad, aunt, husband, only a few bits so far for the kids' stockings. Bleugh! I hate Christmas

Went to my local big boots and all their Christmas gifts were shoved at the back of the shop on 4 small shelves. No sign of Christmas at all when you walked through the front door. Black Friday has killed off the annual boxing day sales, no good bargains anymore. Everything is online rather than in the shops.

@DroopyClematis

Popped into Matalan today and the Christmas section was almost empty. Staff were removing the stands.

Yes, there was a single children’s Christmas plate left in ours at the weekend!

Hopefully this is a long term change for the good. The world needs less tat imported from around the world!

@RobinPenguins

My MIL has bought it all

I agree that most of it has already sold out. It seems a common theme now that this happens. Christmas stuff is sold out by the end of November, Easter stuff will be sold out by the end of February, Halloween stuff by the end of September.

You have to be organized early these days, but if you scout around and aren't fussy some places are already discounting Christmas stock, so you might get some bargains.

Was in JL this weekend, full of overpriced baubles and plenty of other assorted sparkly things and wreaths etc. Same with Home Bargains, and The Range, Asda and Sainsburys (although the latter were reducing some already, so some empty display shelves)

On the other hand Paperchase had a limited amount of baubles left, but did see some I bought in TKmaxx for £1.99 at £6, same label on as well

Come to Kingston! It's all here.