Christmas in November is like biting in to a malteaser that’s missing it’s centre; it’s tasty but it’s just not right. And that’s how I feel about Christmas being paraded under our noses as early as late September.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, almost all of what it entails (inclusive of me donning a different festive inspired outfit every Christmas day and expectantly hanging a stocking at the end of my bed, in the hope that it gets filled and yes, I am 29).
But is this Christmas creep, a term coined in the 1980s, really necessary so soon in the calendar and is it getting earlier every year?
Speaking to Stacey Saunders, Sales Executive for women’s label, Sugarhill Boutique, it can never be too early from a retailers point of view: “Christmas is a very important time of the year for retailers, it is our most lucrative season and we start selling Christmas in May, we work in advance of the actual season. I see how it is necessary in terms of business, but personally I think Christmas shouldn’t kick in until December.”
With Christmas creeping in to shop displays as early as late September it’s hard to avoid. Then comes the competition and iconic status surrounding the much anticipated TV Christmas commercial, being discussed as fervently as this year’s Christmas tree colour theme or which Christmas pud recipe to go for (just go for Delia) Christmas is becoming quite the show stopper, in more ways than one.
ASDA and Lidl were first off the mark launching this year’s TV Christmas commercials on November 1st (54 days before the big day), with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer on November 7th.
Sainsbury’s who always wait to after Remembrance Day to air theirs, flooded in to our living rooms on November 12th, with their efforts. Murmurs are, they may have pipped John Lewis’s alway extraordinary effort to the post with their wonderful Mog the cat themed advert, even if you aren’t the world’s biggest cat lover, no one can resist the charms of Mog the cat.
There is no doubt as to why retailers roll out their advertising campaigns as early as possible, TV adverts are the number one tool which influence consumers to spend at Christmas time. With the big bucks that are spent on them they need to get their moneys worth and it works. TV commercials are the biggest influencer on consumers to spend at Christmas time.
With a third of us starting Christmas shopping in September, there’s no doubt that the demand is there, so suppliers will supply, with bells on.
Teacher and Mum of two, Roz Jones said: “I think Christmas is far too commercialised… There is nothing for children to look forward to it’s extended over a too long period of time and the real meaning of Christmas is completely lost and wrapped up with too many bits of tinsel.”
Someone who is always happy to see the arrival of Christmas is Thistle, Santa’s number one Elf at UK’s Lapland, she said: “Christmas never starts or stops for me! Christmas is always! It just gets better as it gets closer to November when humans start preparing for it as well. Well, for the amount of toys we’re busy making, shops can’t open too early! The sooner they start selling all our wonderful toys the better! My favourite part about Christmas is seeing all the children’s faces when they finally get to meet Santa (because I’m a magic elf you see and I get to take them all to visit him). What’s that about my hat? You can’t have it if that’s what you’re asking! Santa gave this hat to me especially.”
