Department Store Tactics

[Ranty Looney]

Here's something else I just don't understand!
Have you ever noticed when summer finally gets here, the stores have ads up for 'back to school' and 'fall fashions' already. The rug rats are no sooner in school and they are advertising 'Halloween' and the latest 'Winter' wear sale. Don't you also hate how the department stores have Christmas decorations up before Halloween is over? Shouldn't there be a 'law' or something that prevents the stores from overlapping holiday decorating or seasons? Another thing, when did Halloween become an official holiday anyways?
We finally get close to December and the stores have already put up the 'Boxing Day' and 'New Years blow-out' sale signs. When 'New Years' is barely a day old, the department stores are hanging red hearts for that special 'Valentine' that you can't live without, and offering you that new 'Spring' fashion gift or perfume to buy for her! Well we finally get past Valentines Day and out comes the Easter goodies. The chocolate Easter bunnies still have their heads intact and the stores are gearing up for 'Mother's Day' and that new 'Grad' outfit for June, and while you're at it, you may as well be the first in line to get your new summer clothes and swim-wear! And somewhere in the June shuffle is Father's Day (the guy that pays for everything for all these other days).Then, a few weeks later it's Summer and the cycle starts all over again, just like that movie Groundhog Day.

Could you imagine going into a Home Depot during the heat of summer to find road salt and snow shovels on sale? Then being told to come back in the dead of winter to get that air conditioner you so desperately needed right then!
I don't think so.

Grumblings by,
Ranty Rooney.

[slowhand]

When exactly is it that Sears first had their Christmas Catalogue out this year? August, July?

[Mike Cleaver]

Blame the whole "Twilight" teen vampire thing for the sudden upsurge in Halloween.
But yes, there should be a law on when "seasonal" decorations are permitted.
Costco starts stalking Christmas stuff in late August.
A lot of stores now sport dual Halloween and Christmas decorations.
It's even worse in Amerika where they have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas so close together.

[radiofan]

Years ago, wasn't it mid November or maybe even December 1st when Toyland would appear at Woodwards, Sears, The Bay, Eaton's etc?

The Sears Christmas catalogue would show up on the porch sometime in October. Santa was never in the malls or department stores
before December 1st. And then there was Breakfast With Santa at Woodwards on the 3 or 4 Saturdays before Christmas ...



I was in a Costco store in early September and not only did they have the usual array of lights, cards, wrapping paper and fake trees, but
they also had the gift pack tins of nuts, shortbread and other Christmas goodies. Way too early.

Bring back the good ole days!

[Buckley]

Don't you also hate how the department stores have Christmas decorations up before Halloween is over? Shouldn't there be a 'law' or something that prevents the stores from overlapping holiday decorating or seasons?

I'd like to think the "Christmas starting earlier and earlier" is not only a product of greed (of course it is), but also a hilarious in-joke or bet that started between two marketing guys.

Marketing guy A: "Man people are stupid, we have all this Christmas stuff out December 1st, and everyone still flocks to the store at 5pm on December 24th to knock each other for their last minute shopping!"

Marketing guy B: "That's just human nature, people are procrastinators, I bet you could put out the Christmas displays in October and people would still wait until Christmas Eve".

Marketing guy A: "You bet eh? $500 says we do that and December 24th, the stores are empty. There's got to be a point where people will have been bombarded with it for too long and finally go out and do their shopping!"

Marketing guy B: "$500? You're on!"

And we all know how that story ends... Marketing guy A's bank account becomes $500 lighter and people continue to prove themselves to be masochistic by waiting until the last minute knowing that every year they're elbow-to-elbow with all the other people who waited, buying overpriced crap that will only be slightly less overpriced on Boxing Day.

[yathink]

"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill."