Christmas in summer? Why Christmas items appear in stores so early – National

You may have heard the expression “Christmas in July” before, but it’s not just a saying – it’s a three-decade-old tradition at Ontario’s Desert Lake Resort that attracts hundreds of visitors.

Members of the resort staff and some seasonal guests volunteer to ensure that the approximately 200 visitors have fun.

“The kids love it,” Donna Glass, the resort's office manager, told Global News. “It's just a lot of fun for everyone. We love doing it. It's a lot of work and when it's hot, it's even more work.”

However, in order to hold the event in July, the resort often relies on most of the decorations being donated by attendees.

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While Glass gets Christmas decorations from his guests, decorating for the Halloween party in August was easier.

“Sometimes Walmart or other stores have it on sale in the run-up to Halloween,” she said.

Glass isn’t the only one who finds Halloween items in stores earlier.

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Some media users have posted videos showing various decorations available to purchase at Costco for the holidays, which are almost 90 days away.

While some people look for back-to-school specials, Halloween comes earlier and in some cases Christmas too.

Instagram user Laura Lamb, founder of Costcohotfinds – which is not affiliated with the large supermarket – posted a video of a National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Advent calendar that she found in her nearby store last week.

For retail analyst Bruce Winder, the earlier arrival of holiday decorations and items is no surprise. He told Global News that back-to-school products may not take up enough space, with goods for other occasions filling the space.

“It's like a trailer or a teaser ad designed to get consumers thinking,” he said. “If they came two weeks early last year, they might come three weeks early this year because they're trying to copy the results.”

That could mean it's no coincidence that holiday items are showing up earlier, either. Winder notes that stores are releasing more deals earlier and spreading them around more widely. He said November, for example, has become more of a “Black Friday month” rather than a single day.

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It's a retail strategy, he said, because big stores have to compete with apps and online sales that allow direct delivery to consumers' doorsteps.

However, if you want to support local businesses, this might be more difficult as they are often unable to purchase items that far in advance or do not have enough space to display items that are out of season.

While holiday shopping may start earlier, a recent study from Salesforce suggests the holiday season may look different than previous years because consumers are more indebted: 37 percent of global shoppers say they use their credit cards more often now than they did a year ago.

Another 32 percent say they use alternative credit services such as “buy now, pay later” more often.

Given this debt, Winder said, more frugal consumers may be one reason retailers are trying to entice customers to buy their Halloween or Christmas items during the summer.

“When they see the products at a particular retailer, they may think that retailer is their first choice when they actually come back to shop there,” he said.

– with files from Anne Gaviola of Global.

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