If you spent your Halloween night watching scary movies on TV, you may have heard the sounds of jingle bells or Christmas carols during the commercial breaks. For many reluctant holiday shoppers, no monster movie is as scary as the “Christmas creep.” But for others, the festive ads and decor serve as added motivation to get out and get that holiday shopping started early.
In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, about 40% of consumers actually begin their holiday shopping before Halloween. And retailers are responding.
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“Retailers have started offering -- many of them -- have started offering promotions earlier in the season, some as early as Halloween," said NRF Senior Director for Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen.
For retailers, there’s good reason for the so-called “Christmas creep.”
“A longer shopping season gives consumers more time. It gives them time to browse and find the items they really want," Cullen said.
More enthusiasm around shopping translates into more spending. The NRF forecasts holiday retail sales to hit nearly $730 billion over November and December.
Yet even with the “Christmas creep,” the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday will still be some of the busiest shopping days of the year.
“NRF is projecting an estimated 114 million -- more than 114 (million) -- consumers will shop on Black Friday and that’s still the biggest shopping day out of that entire weekend," Cullen said.
But whether you’re an early bird or a strict after-turkey-day traditionalist, the holiday shopping clock is already ticking.