Does the fact that Christmas seem to come earlier and earlier every year get on your nerves? I have already seen a couple of Christmas commercials and it is only October. Plus a radio station I listen to played a Christmas carol last week. I have seen some Christmas items in the store since September, even before Halloween decorations. I mean...where will it all end?
I totally agree with this post. As I walk into many stores I already see Christmas trees. It is almost ridiculous, Halloween didn't even past yet.
If you don't like Christmas retail so early in the year, stay out of Home Depot. They kicked off the "season" today. On the other hand this was the time last year that shopping for $BBY was good for a ~20% run last year, selling in January. I normally don't look at the consumer discretionary sector for obvious reasons but never say never.
It gets earlier and earlier every year it seems. I usually can't even get into the Christmas mood until at least December. I am also one of those last minute shoppers who is in the store on Christmas Eve when they are ready to close trying to find that perfect gift. lol
Yes, I absolutely hate that. Last winter I managed to be in non-Christian countries from October until January so I missed Christmas altogether! That was great. But this year I will be in Europe and I'll be constantly bombarded by Christmas stuff from November onwards. Yikes.
I'm not keen on the holiday season at all as that's the time when my Dad died. I'm sure that there are plenty of other people in a similar position. So I'll admit that Christmas items in the shops, television adverts and festive songs can sometimes upset me. However, what can you really do other than deal with it? It's not so much the fact that the stuff is available so early that annoys me, it's the fact that the birth of Jesus Christ is marked by such blatant greed and consumerism. And I'm not even Christian!
Yes, I think a law should be passed that Christmas items can not be for sale until after Thanksgiving. Of course it will never happen. Retailers try to make a buck out of Christmas anyway they can. They think by doing it early people will be more likely to buy from them, but basically it just makes most people mad.
This board has a name suggesting a bull stock market. Instead of complaining about the retailers' marketing habits, spend your time on doing due diligence on consumer discretionary stocks of retailers that might do well in the fourth quarter. Invest some money, make some money, don't worry, be happy. FWIW, $M and $WMT won't make it into my portfolio.
It does seem to be getting earlier and earlier and I often joke with my sister that places should go whole hog and just leave the Christmas stuff out all year round. It would save time! Seriously though, I was seeing Christmas stuff in the local branch of Co-op right at the beginning of September and I think at the end of the month they started putting small decorations up. I have not seen any ads on TV yet but then again I think there is a rule, or an unwritten one, that says they can't show them until November, but then again I could be really wrong on that. In a way it's good they get them out early because some like doing their Xmas shopping as early as possible and if you're lucky you can catch some stuff pretty cheap before it gets too close to the big day then they jack up the price. Supply and demand I suppose.
