The 'Christmas creep' is real, Canadian retail experts say

Christmas is hitting the stores earlier each year, confirms experts. (Shutterstock)

For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

It is a frequent complaint at this time of the year that the festive season seems to be beginning earlier and earlier, and retail experts say there’s substance to grinch’s gripes. Christmas creep, a retail phenomenon that sees Christmas-related merchandise, decorations and music introduced much before the traditional holiday, is inching closer and closer.

Barely have the pumpkin spiced lattes cooled before Bublé begins blasting from supermarket speakers and shop windows become tinseled, and if it seems as though stores are trying to outdo each other with their displays and offerings, it’s because they are, says Amanda Chung, Marketing Manager for Metropolis at Vancouver’ Metrotown.

“It has become a competition to see which retailer gets the first rush,” says Chung, adding how the swift transition from fall to festive is to see who can attract the most customers before “shoppers have spent all their holiday budget.”

While advertising from businesses tends to be more “reasonable,” with many holding off until the passing of November’s Remembrance Day, department stores and supermarkets have no qualms about introducing the festivities early if it means getting an edge on the competition, she says.

“This holiday is the most exciting time of the year for shopping centres, from revenue, traffic and, even more so in recent years – experiences,” says Chung, adding how retailers now start their holiday planning as early as the summer months.

“This is the time of year that non-shoppers go shopping, online shoppers have a reason to go to a shopping centre, and shoppers visit different shopping centres because their neighbourhood shopping centre may not have what they are looking for.”

According to the Retail Council of Canada, November is expected to be the busiest shopping month of the year.

Santo Ligotti, the Retail Council of Canada’s vice-president, marketing and member services, says Christmas revenue is vital to the success of stores, and thus the strategy is to “create value and excitement for the shopper to shop earlier, more often and spend more.”

Yet, while shoppers are quick to lambast stores for the pressure they put on to purchase yuletide goods, the statistics show that many people are festive shopping long before candy canes start hitting the shelves.

The practice of stashing gifts away in cupboards year-round is no longer reserved for thrifty grandparents, with 22 per cent of shoppers in Canada having already begun their festive purchasing, and 12 per cent of Canadian shoppers purchasing Christmas bits year-round, says the RCC. Chung said some shoppers start filling their baskets as early as January, preparing for the next season’s festivities while prices are marked down.

“Due to continuously rising inflation and increasing costs, the majority of Canadian shoppers are gearing up for the holiday season by taking various proactive measures,” says Ligotti, adding how the most popular approach to Christmas shopping is to seek sales and deals, set a budget and shop earlier.

Whether planning in advance equates to less damaged savings remains to be seen.

Chung says those who think they’re prepared may wind up spending more, after buying presents in January and being lured into even more goods in November, while Ligotti says the rate that shoppers are spending at Christmas is only increasing annually. British Columbians anticipate spending $893 this holiday shopping season, four per cent more than they did last year.

“Some shop right after the holiday, preparing for the next year while the prices are marked down. Some shop during the holiday season when advertising reminds them to shop. Either practice leads to more shopping because retailers are competing with appealing offers,” says Chung.

Away from the revenue statistics and marketing tactics, the ‘Christmas creep’ perhaps says more about the collective need for indulging in cheer and nostalgia than it does the making and saving of money.

“It’s no longer just about shopping and sales,” says Chung, pointing out how the introduction of creative experiential offerings - from in-house Santa's grottos to interactive displays – shows how shopping centres are offering more than just things to buy.

The excitement over holiday shopping is shifting, and wandering aisles filled with seasonal tchotchkes or basketing frivolous festive treats have become activities more recreational than requisite.

Despite the gripes and grumbles, "people enjoy the holiday season," says Ligotti.