Forget Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas has arrived! The merchandising phenomenon is called "Christmas Creep" in which retailers bump up the day they start promoting Christmas.
In past years, October was the earliest month most retailers put out Christmas items. This year, a number of stores are starting as early as September. Some Dollar Trees already have more Christmas decorations than Halloween. Sears and Costco have also put out Christmas items.
According to a new survey, about one out of every eight adults has already bought a gift. There are a few stores that still keep Christmas merchandise off the shelves until after Thanksgiving, but for most, the spending season is already in full swing.
Santa has also arrived by email. A study shows 15% of top online retailers have already started the holidays in their email campaigns as of early September.
The National Retail Federation says 40% of shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping before Halloween.
TXT 24
Twitter
Facebook