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The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration

The student news site of Colonia High School

The Declaration

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Does Christmas shopping start too early?

Christmas
Photo Credit: Photo via Public Domain Pictures under Creative Commons License
Seen is a Christmas shop decorated and set up for the late December holiday.

Christmas shopping has started earlier and earlier over the past decade. Even Christmas items just five years ago did not take up shelf space until early November. It is not just purchasing gifts early, but setting up these blow ups and lights in the months of July and August.

I understand completely that people want to be more efficient with their time, and finish things early. The exception to that statement comes when I see Christmas trees and lights in the months before Halloween. Retailers are doing everything backwards, and not focusing on the holiday that is happening at that exact time. How is it that in September or October there are more Christmas trees than Halloween decorations? The worst part about this is that it leads to more people beginning to put them up even before November. This is where it starts to get ridiculous in my eyes. No one should have Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving, and especially not before Halloween.

Evidence of early selling is in a ton of huge retail stores. Stores like Hobby Lobby, Target, and Walmart all started making shelf space for Christmas items before Halloween. More than 40% of consumers in a survey said they begin Christmas shopping before November. The holiday creep, which is that shopping every year gets earlier and earlier, has been growing in stores. This has been the truth in the market for the past decade and does not seem to stop soon.

Although I find it ridiculous to shop this early, I do see the benefits. Especially for people, specifically store owners or CEOs. With just under half of the market admitting to shopping before Halloween, why not take advantage and be the first store to offer decorations. This would capture that 40% and be very profitable to the business. For the consumer on the other hand, the benefits are that you do not have to worry about waiting. Decorations could be up and set up before Christmas never to be touched again. The Christmas industry in America is a 600 billion dollar industry, and it makes sense why businesses would like some of these profits early.

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In conclusion, although I see the benefits of putting out Christmas decorations early, I still find it completely ridiculous. It is almost a sign of disrespect to the other holidays. The fact that retail stores have trees and lights out in August confuses me, and almost angers me. There is nothing wrong with getting things done early, but there is a problem with having decorations up before Halloween. I ask people doing this to please think about it and consider waiting.

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About the Contributor
Zachary Kaye, Fall Reporter
Zachary Kaye is a 17 year old Senior at Colonia High School, with his birthday on September 30. He plays football for the school and is a captain of the team. When not playing, he is a huge sports fan and enjoys watching sports. One of his favorite activities during the NFL season is participating in Fantasy Football with his friends. His favorite sports teams are the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, the MLB New York Mets, and the NBA Philadelphia 76ers. Another hobby of his is to watch movies, mainly superhero ones. His favorite movies are Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Thor Ragnarok. Kaye is very big into music and his favorite artist is the singer/rapper Post Malone, although he enjoys almost all genres. He Lives at home with his mother and his sister. He is not sure of a major yet and hopes to go to either Quinnipiac University or Rowan University and find a passion for something within the next few years.

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Does Christmas shopping start too early?