“It’s the jolliest time of the year!”
…is what we would be saying if we were a month ahead of schedule, which we’re not. However, stores around Honolulu don’t seem to be getting the memo, as shelves are stocked with Christmas Products before Thanksgiving has had a chance to shine. In fact, this actually goes all the way back to the middle of October! In some cases, this happens even earlier!
This immediately begs the question of “Why?” Why sell these festive items early? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to sell these in their rightful month of December, rather than stealing Halloween’s spotlight? Well, some of it comes down to convenience, & the rest to profits.
By now, I’m sure we’re all familiar with the chaotic nature that is Christmas shopping. People are buying decorations to make their houses appear more merry, parents are buying lots of gifts for their children, and markets are rushing to sell the famous Christmas Turkey (wow, seems like Christmas really is trying to steal Thanksgiving…)! The malls are filled with huge lines that can last hours, most store shelves are being cleaned out like drainage systems, & cashiers are having to work faster than usual. All of this together leads to businesses overloading the bank with incoming profits, but it also results in it being very hard for most people to actually get their hands on the festive products. For many, by the time they actually get to the Christmas Product aisle (or wherever the holiday items are being sold), the entire supply is often gone or very low.
To combat this, Christmas Products are sold at an earlier time to allow for consumers to buy these items without having to worry about the dread of seasonal-holiday shopping. After all, who wants to wait in a 2-hour line only for a chance to be disappointed at the sight of nothing but a “Sold Out” sign? Probably not a lot of people. This acts as a way for the consumer to purchase items before the big holiday rush, and the business gets to make a bit more money in the process.
There are more reasons for this phenomenon occurring. Another one includes the business trying to make the most money out of their consumers. Christmas just so happens to be one of the most profitable holidays in the industry, as described by the chaotic scenario from before. The sight of these products can actually get consumers to start thinking of Christmas earlier than usual, motivating them to purchase Christmas products earlier. It’s an easy way to make more money alongside whatever other profits they may be making from their other available products.
This is a tactic that stores use which is known as Holiday Creep. This specific form of it is dubbed Christmas Creep, although it comes in other forms as well. For instance, Halloween Creep is used as a way for people to stock up on Halloween candy weeks in advance, for when those trick-or-treaters come knocking on your door, startling you while you try to watch a scary movie. Back To School creep is used to get parents to buy school supplies for the upcoming school year, rather early.
This is a way of manipulating the consumer’s mind and getting them to “plan ahead” on various events or holidays by purchasing these items early, while they still have the chance to more easily buy said products. These businesses know what Christmas Shopping is like. These customers know what Christmas Shopping is like. These businesses are aware that the customer knows what Christmas Shopping is like. As such, they try to get them to purchase the items now to hopefully avoid the Holiday Rush when it does eventually arrive. That way, consumers don’t have to wait in line for ages.
With Christmas creeping closer every day, more and more people are going to start purchasing Christmas products overtime, until the eventual few days when stores are flooded with customers. The tactic of selling holiday products early does seem to be working, so it’s rather unlikely that this phenomenon will be stopping anytime soon.
