Too early to get in the Christmas spirit? These shops don’t think so…
Autumn may have just started but it seems Christmas has come to Cheltenham early this year.
More than 15 high street stores have already started stocking their shelves for the festive season, despite Halloween being less than two weeks away.
Primark, Poundland and Wilko are just a few with an array of items from decorations, to wrapping paper, calendars and cards and Vinegar Hill has even got a Christmas tree in their shop window.
But not everyone in Cheltenham is happy about this, with one shopper saying she finds it ‘depressing’.
She said: “It keeps getting earlier and earlier every year and it’s just the wrong message.
“You’re just being bombarded with it constantly and it’s just this pressure to spend more and show people that you love them. I don’t like it.”
Another shopper told Park Post he doesn’t start his Christmas shopping until the 19th December so he can try and grab a bargain (if only we could all buy our presents on boxing day).
So why is it that shops are stocking for Christmas so early?
Richard Austin, Managing Director of Vinegar Hill, said it’s down to their customer’s needs and competition.
“Many of customers are busy and like to be organised, so will seek out and buy elements of Christmas early and whilst there will be a small percentage of people who feel it’s too early for any Christmas product, we need to keep our loyal customers happy”, he said.
“Also, much of our competition rolls out their Christmas department as early as the end of August, so October isn’t actually early in the market place.”
Reassuringly he added: “We under no circumstances play Christmas music until the end of November!”
Well, that’s a relief!
Looks like there’s loads of Christmas stock hitting the high street at the moment – only 68 days to go! 🎄 But do you think it’s too early to sell it now?
— Park Post (@ParkPostNews) October 18, 2018
Like to be super organised and have your Christmas shopping done before December? Here are the stores that are stocking it:
- A Write Card
- Clintons
- Hotel Chocolat
- House of Fraser
- John Lewis
- Lush
- Marks & Spencer
- Mayther
- Poundland
- Primark
- Savers
- The White Company
- The Works
- Vinegar Hill
- White Stuff
- WH Smiths
- Wilko