At what point is it too soon? Reader whit o’ wit reports that the Hallmark Store in Burnsville Center Mall has already put out its Christmas decorations for this year. While it could very well be that Hallmark’s usefulness has gone to near zero in 2012 and the only thing people still buy from them are Christmas-related decoration, one really has to wonder why stores insist on making Christmas a year-round holiday when most of the shopping for the holidays gets done during the more traditional times.
A simple search of news sources talking about whether the holiday shopping season begins too early has come up with a variety of stories but none of which discuss Christmas sales beginning as far back as July. In fact, one article notes that they only holiday shopping items you should be checking off your list in July is to plan for what shopping you’re going to do and save your money.
Another article claims the Christmas-in-July phenomenon began in 1933 at a girl’s summer camp to lift their spirits after the school year but it wasn’t a national trend until 7 years later:
Believe it or not a girl’s summer camp is to blame. In July of 1933, Camp Keystone decided to lift the spirits of the children following the end of their school season. They decided on the best spirit-boosting theme all children loved. They bought a Christmas tree, exchanged gifts with good-old Saint Nick looking on. Christmas in July was such a success it became their tradition. But Christmas in July didn’t become a national phrase until Hollywood’s 1940 movie aptly named Christmas in July about a young man who thinks he has won $25,000 and proceeds to buy presents for the whole town.
If we’re doing this to lift the spirits of kids after the 2011-2012 school year, it’s because Back to School shopping items were on sale BEFORE the end of the 2011-2012 school year this year. It’s as if Target is backing year-round schooling in Minnesota before anyone else.
What do you think about putting out Christmas decorations in July? How about Back to School items before school is even out? Do you think that these stores do this because they are trying to accomplish some misguided attempt at extending traditionally profitable seasons for longer hoping the profits will come with it? When is too early? Do you do any shopping for Christmas now? Do you wonder if Hallmark in Burnsville Center is hurting bad and is trying to dump some inventory before closing up shop? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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July 25th, 2012 at 8:59 am
I don’t know about other decorations, but Hallmark has done its release of Christmas ornaments around the third week of July for years. I don’t know why they picked that point, but it may be because of the Christmas in July phenomena. Personally, I’m on the hunt for Christmas swag year round, and I start shopping for presents in August, because I do a lot of my purchasing at the Renfest. I also start planning out crafts and projects to give myself enough time to get them done.
July 25th, 2012 at 10:30 am
To be honest, my wife does the Christmas shopping year-round. However, it’s usually buying a gift one at a time, when she sees something on clearance, or on a really good sale, spread out over a year. I actually appreciate that, as my wallet doesn’t take a big hit at all during the traditional holiday shopping period.
July 25th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I like to go to Wisconsin on July 5th and get all of my loved ones illegal and highly discounted fireworks for Christmas. The prices are great and who doesn’t love the gift of bottle rockets and roman candles? Let me tell you, nobody doesn’t love it.
A word to the wise though. Rent a storage locker for the fireworks. Your insurance company won’t pay that bill twice.
July 25th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Seems kinda weird to me, but I guess they do it because they make money off of it. It’s not any weirder than test driving a 2013 car in July of 2012. I wouldn’t be shocked to find out that car was built in 2011.
July 26th, 2012 at 5:53 am
I can tell you why stores break holidays early, mostly because they’re trying to scoop the competition. If they get BTS out a few weeks before the other guy they’re likely to get a few shoppers who buy that stuff early, or are motivated to by it because they see it. Ad a few of those shoppers, the theory holds, would have spent their BTS dollars somewhere else instead.
As far as Christmas in July, that’s a more of a hallmark making a statement thing when there is NOTHING going on in the greet card business. Once Graduation and Fathers Day is over.. they really have very little to sell until Halloween. Probably a few marketing folks figured it was a way to inject something interesting into an otherwise boring 12 week stretch.
July 26th, 2012 at 7:02 am
So sick of retail shoving Christmas buying down my throat. Since the security guard was trampled to death at Walmart a few years ago on Black Friday so people could buy a TV on sale, I boycott all Christmas gifts, both giving and receiving. That was the last straw for me. I now treat Christmas as a time for spending time with family and friends. Not everyone in my friends and family like it, but they are getting used to it. One family member has started giving their budget for my “gift” each year to his favorite charity. I love that! :)
August 1st, 2012 at 9:39 am
The most annoying part about Christmas push starting so early is that it casts a shadow over the entirety of my favorite time of year (roughly July through November!). I don’t want to think about the dark days during the light days – Christmas is stressful enough for the month that it supposed to contain it! I don’t need reminders during the summer (or any time before December!). Let us enjoy Halloween & Thanksgiving first!
August 1st, 2012 at 11:50 am
FYI, when there are no gifts, Christmas is not stressful! :) We do a “numbers gag gift” game in my family, and it gets stranger and stranger every year. This is like that game women play at wedding showers where you draw numbers pick a gift and open it, then you can “steal” from each other as it goes on. We hunt for odd gifts for the exchange all year long. The only rule (and yes there is a reason!) is that no dead animal parts are allowed unless it’s frozen Walleye fillets (Caught, cleaned and frozen by my brother). Every year, I try to get those damn fillets, they always get stolen from me in the game! I usually end up with a vintage Elvis statue or some other strange thing found in someones basement box headed to the goodwill. Of course, if you have small kids, this “no gift” thing is really hard to do. But I don’t dread Christmas like I used to any longer, it’s quite liberating. The only thing I have to worry about now is what food to make. And how to get my hands on that Walleye!