Retailers are marketing to Christmas shoppers in September

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Retailers who are desperate to win business from holiday shoppers are starting their holiday push about one month earlier than last year. Consumers are already seeing Christmas trees and holiday displays in big box stores and shopping malls.

Bill Black, a professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said that the struggling economy is one of the major reasons retailers are starting to market the holidays before Halloween and well before Thanksgiving.

“Holiday sales are the largest income for some retailers, so they have to do what they can to make sure Christmas sales are strong,” Black said.

Black also explained that big box and even smaller retailers are pushing holiday sales earlier because they’re trying to get consumers to shop inside their stores instead of online.

“Every year retailers are worried that this could be the year internet holiday sales overtake in-store sales,” Black added.

To compete with Internet-only sites, retailers are going online offering layaway specials to get consumers to go into their stores and buy.

Black said retailers are convincing consumers that it’s smart and financially savvy to buy now on layway, make small monthly payments for three months and pick-up their purchases in December.

The Rosehill Gardens Christmas Store on the Country Club Plaza, typically opens in November. This year the store opened in September, two months earlier than last year.

Rosehill Gardens Assistant Manager, Marilyn Schugel, said that they started with fall décor and products; but they will start displaying Christmas decorations this week.

“We’ve had customers come in who wanted to buy Christmas ornaments and décor,” Schugel said.

But Rosehill customer, Carla Willis said she doesn’t want to see holiday items until November.

“When they start displaying Christmas things in September it makes the holiday less special because it lasts too long,” Willis said.