We wanted to buy a sandbox for our daughter in August one year because she'd hit the age where it was appropriate, and it was Vegas, where the summer was not conducive to outdoor play. NOBODY had sandboxes in stock, and all the stores said it was out of season...meanwhile they were all starting to sell snow suits. IN VEGAS. Okay, someone in Vegas might need to buy a snow suit to go up the mountain or to travelling, fine, but in August could we please still have some warm-weather stuff available in a city where the temps that month are in the 115F range?

Here in Austin, last Christmas a Target employee told me they didn't have hula hoops because that was considered an outdoor summer thing. It was t-shirt weather here, and my kid was hearing "me, I want a huuuuuuuuuula hoop!" on the radio and wanted one for Christmas. I luckily found one at Goodwill.

And you don't want to know the hassles my husband just had trying to buy a barbecue...omg apparently nobody in Texas cooks outdoors past July 31!

Occasionally I hear someone in a knitting group announce in November they're going to start a sweater for a relative for Christmas, and it's inevitably their first sweater ever. And the rest of us laugh and laugh...

As someone who does NOT celebrate christmas (I'm Jewish, thank you, and no Hannukah is NOT a 'Jewish Christmas' - it is, in fact, an extremly MINOR holiday) I find it extremly insulting to have to stare at christmas decorations half the year.

Especially when I was in High School. In fact it got so bad my Senior Year, that I actually got up and left a classroom when a teacher let a student play christmas songs in October.

To this day, I refuse to even acknowlege Christmas exists as a consumer (I do have non-Jewish relatives) until after Thanksgiving. Though I detest Black Friday as well, but that at least, is a long standing retail tradition that my Grandmother remembers shopping during.

It really is a sad state of our country when consumerism has escalated to this degree. The lagre corporations have completely taken over and I find it sad that many people find the need to bend themselves to fit into the mold.

Several reasons for this:

-Many members are business members who resell the products in their own stores
-Save costs at the factories by producing the items during factory downtime
-Minimizes extra stock that would have to be marked down at the end of the season

(taken from [www.costco.com])

Holier than egg bunny day?

JULY people!

This is not some "Christmas in July" thing either: the moment the grill sales and lawnmower sales start slacking off, they drag out the Christmas stuff and begin slowly converting the garden center. The summer stuff gets shoved to one side and compressed, kinda. . Once the summer official ends, then they go all-out with Christmas.

The local Walmarts are often juggling two or three holidays at once. And since local stores have basically NO say at all in anything they do, this is coming down from corporate 100%.

For what it's worth, the school supply bins make way for Halloween candy displays the moment school starts (August), and the moment that's done, they take that space for Christmas too.

The Valentine's day candy items typically start hitting the shelves after Thanksgiving. I am not kidding. They go all-out with that once Christmas day is done, but they are in there in November with the candy for Valentine's.

Easter stuff is out on display right after New Years. Forth of July and summer items hit the shelves as soon as Easter is done if not before that.

The ice cream flavor was Eggnog. Bah, humbug.

[/CONFUSED]

@Shaftoe:
*heh*
you're too punny.

Several have hit on the fact that no matter the justification or excuse many seemed to be obsessed with x-mas year round .

If you don't like the crowds simply go at a different time or don't buy gifts that you will be jacked up in price around the holidays .

But just the fact that many are trying to be so practical about x-mas shopping makes it seem like it's a chore to begin with . So many purchases around the holidays are gratuitous . They are go through the motion robot like ' obligations ' . There are too many hypocrites around x-mas as well including the retailers who simply want your business.

@Lin-Z [linguist on duty]:
My ex lived in a studio apartment with a tiny kitchen because he rarely cooks. When I started staying over and cooking dinners, it was really hard to do anything. But I eventually managed to plan my prep work so that I could work on a tiny counterspace and a 2 burner stove!

@tbax929: I got a gorgeous KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas last year. Let me tell you, a stand mixer is something that I couldn't have allowed myself to purchase even if it was 50% off. The price is just such a stunner that I would have never been able to bring myself to buy one. It was so amazing and unexpected that I was given one for Christmas that I practically cried. I totally understand where you are about splurging. Unfortunately, we can't splurge much, but we definitely try to get people something amazing.

I don't mind Halloween creep so much, because Halloween is the best holiday of the year.

My wife and I have been trying to find lounge chairs (like what you would take to the beach) since June, and it is almost impossible.

This is what annoys me most about Christmas Creep. It is as if stores are trying to get us to forget the best holiday of the year, Halloween.

@JGKojak:
You don't get to decide how others should feel or act when it comes to anything, including Christmas. Maybe that is what bothers you, but you really need to lighten up. People buying things to celebrate a holiday that's important to them is so not what is wrong with this country. People who think everyone has to feel exactly the way they do or they're sick fucks is what is wrong with this country. If you don't like Christmas stuff, don't buy it. Wow.

@Shaftoe: I have absolutely no idea what you're saying, but I totally understand what dollywould was saying.

@olderbudwizer:
While I think hand-made gifts are great (and I do make jewelry and give it out for birthdays and such), Christmas is the one time when I really splurge on gifts. I'm not married and have no kids, but I have four siblings and five nieces and nephews. Since I don't support anyone but me, I can afford to buy gifts others in my family can't. There's a joy that comes in seeing the look on someone's face when you give them an awesome, awesome gift. That look is worth more than the money I spend, believe me.

i'd never get them done if i waited until after thanksgiving. sick fuck i am not.

@winshape:
I'm with you on this one. I hate Christmas music. It's the same damn songs every friggin' year. Ugh.

@rickn99:
LOL. Thanks for that.

@JGKojak:
I never thought of myself as a sick fuck, but I do finish my shopping by October. I shop early because I don't like to deal with crowds, and I'd never, ever be out there on Christmas Eve with the last-minute shoppers. Also, I buy a lot of things online, and I don't want a shipping disaster to ruin a gift.

If that makes me a sick fuck - so be it.

On the other hand, Halloween can't come fast enough for me. The second those makeshift Halloween Express stores show up, I am PUMPED.

Or we could just all vow not to purchase anything Christmas related from stores that violate that rule.

PS: Costco in Montreal already had some Christmas stuff this weekend as well as a "life-size" Santa... which apparently has him pegged at about 5'2" tall!

Or on the occasion that you were living in an apartment with A/C and then bought a house, moved in and realized it was way too freaking hot to sleep without A/C. (That happened to me a couple years ago.)

No offense, but your wife sounds like a nutjob if Christmas decorations make her "blow her top".

I guess the Easter Bunny in January would send her to a rooftop with a rifle.

@dollywould: So you use magazines to color your hair and textiles?
[/SNARK]

No store in the universe want to pay the overtime it would take to get all the holiday merchandise out in the week before Thanksgiving. That stuff doesn't jump out of a truck and onto a shelf by itself -- and the fragile stuff requires the removal of 14 layers of bubblewrap.

As mentioned in another post, Costco is always about 3 months ahead of any season and Christmas is no exception.

My birthday is in the final days of August, and I always put in for a vacation request to encompass those days. By my last day there, we've already rolled out the Christmas decorations. As of yesterday, we had one quad [four pallets staged next to each other in a square] with random Christmas decorations/accessories. By the time I come back from vacation, we'll probably have one aisle devoted to Christmas.

It is interesting to note that we have more Christmas product on the floor than Halloween product, the latter obviously sooner on the calender.

Also, Joe...show some Consumerist love on over at the Lakeside Costco! Nothing against Auburn, but I've got to look out for my own interests.

My birthday is in the final days of August, and I always put in for a vacation request to encompass those days. By my last day there, we've already rolled out the Christmas decorations. As of yesterday, we had one quad [four pallets staged next to each other in a square] with random Christmas decorations/accessories. By the time I come back from vacation, we'll probably have one aisle devoted to Christmas.

It is interesting to note that we have more Christmas product on the floor than Halloween product, the latter obviously sooner on the calender.

Also, Joe...show some Consumerist love on over at the Lakeside Costco! Nothing against Auburn, but I've got to look out for my own interests.

@JGKojak:

Seeing as how you didn't attack anyone directly and you simply stated a viewpoint - albeit rather bluntly - I'm going to go ahead and side with you on this.

Most people who need a portable air conditioner would have bought it before the last week of August.

@bohemian: What are you doing about the health care problem? Can you personally do anything about it? I think it's awfully pretentious to get on a high horse and say that people don't care about health care because they're thinking about Christmas. Yes, health care needs reform - but meanwhile, everyone has the function and live their lives, and business goes on.

"god botherers": rofl. love it!

@henrygates: Does either store sell real Christmas trees? I know that I've seen fake ones at Michaels.

There's one editor who has just gotten herself scratched off my Christmas card list. Meg, I'm soooooo disappointed.

Try not to be so immature.

@Hooray4Zoidberg:
I love the Halloween creep.
I think it's the only barrier holding Christmas Back, at least in some places- Thanksgiving just doesn't have the power anymore.

At the very least, I can retreat to the Halloween display and dogge the Christmas items in the staging areas- thank the Gods the stores have enough tact to not put Navivity sets next to the Motion-Activated Cackling Witches.

It has to do with our priorities. Some people could care less that our health care system is a complete mess. You know, that thing that keeps people from dying? But ZOMG christmas decorations! Must-go-shopping-must-go-shopping.

I have grown to openly hate Christmas. If the god botherers are not screaming about the supposed war on Christmas the retailers are thrusting it upon people everywhere for months.

I do have to say that for those of us who work in magazines (that dying medium), this is pretty helpful. We're working on holiday issues now, so I love having season props available in time. Now if only we could find Valentine's stuff in November!

@JGKojak: LOL I think perhaps there is more to worry about than some extra Christmas sales that my aunt who LOVES CHRISTMAS (seriously, it's hilarious, really) takes advantage of every year.

So tell me, how much worthless crap do you own that you don't need? TV? Radio? Mp3 player? Because, hate to break it to you, but you're not immune to it.

@olderbudwizer: I don't know anyone who sends Christmas cards anymore. We're in our 20s and we've never sent Christmas cards. Yeah we can get them for cheap, but postage costs money! I think this year I'm going to design my own ecard and attach it to an email I'm sending everyone.

I saw a commercial yesterday from Kmart & Sears that they're starting to sell holiday stuff already.

Since the economy is slow they want to make up for the slow Dec sales by starting before Labor Day.

It's unbelievable the new marketing low that the US retailers are sinking too.

ps- not to mention the bunch of confused young kids that dont understand the concept of time.

@bitslammer: Our hammock went caput a couple years ago in August, and it was impossible to find a replacement.

OK First off I work for Costco so take what I say with as many grains of NACL as you wish.
Second I also despise the xmas creep however I think in Costco's case you will note that we are always about 3 months ahead of any seasonal merchandising. Winter stuff coming out in fall, Summer items like grills and pools in the early spring. That is just kind of the way it is.

Does Halloween Egg Nog taste good with bars and hotdish?

In all seriousness, though, another downfall of Christmas in August is that we'll now have 5 months of warfare over where the Nativity Scenes can be shown, calls for boycotts of stores that say happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas, school programs that can't sing "Silent Night", and gnashing of teeth over how commercialized Christmas is. THAT I can definitely do without.

I never buy until just before Christmas. I get the lowest prices from scared retailers. I would never buy a thing until after Thanksgiving.

That said, SOMEONE must buy this stuff in August or they wouldn't take the time and money to display it.

I think the other part is that lots of stores have sections for seasonal stuff, and if they don't put Christmas stuff out, they don't really have anything else to put out once the summer/back to school stuff is done - Halloween isn't quite as big a holiday as Christmas, and who actually decorates for Thanksgiving?

@pattiesmart: I really don't care that much, other than to say its a pretty sad symptom of our economy and state of mind.

@pecan 3.14159265:

It's because of the overload that the music is unbearable for me. I used to enjoy it, when it was only after Thanksgiving. Now I feel the same way you do.

And don't get me started on the crap generic "Winter holiday" music that most places have started switching to...

@krispykrink: But really, I do see JGKojak has a point, but it's burried underneath a bunch of ridiculous hyperbole and unrelated bullshit.

@krispykrink: Really? Because, oh, I don't know, we're not in a recession because people are broke and can't buy shit ... oh wait, we are.

@JGKojak: I'm in align with your thoughts on this.

I don't know which is worse - the customers who will buy this stuff in August or the stores selling it .

I don't know , to live for one day a year ? But then again you have football or baseball fans that can't wait for opening day but at least that represents the begining of the season .

I think x-mas represents krass commercialsim with uptight on edge participants including the religious pretenders who worry about going to church that one day year and yet the other 364 days they're putting knives in someone's back .

@pecan 3.14159265: The floor space in the kitchen isn't so bad, it's the cabinet and cuonter space. Non-existant, practically. I had to buy a seperate, small white cabinet with four shelves to use as a pantry, and I don't even cook!

I am moving in a few weeks, and the new place has a pantry in the wall. YAY! The rest of the kitchen is about the same size, but that pantry makes a world of difference.

The only con is the TINY BEDROM in the new apartment. I think my Queen sized bed is just barely going to fit and the dresser may actually have to be put in the living room!

But free basic cable, free laundry facilities, and a huge balcony covered in trees. Yes please.

@RogerTheAlien: Seriously! I get being annoyed by it, but his reaction was just hilarious.

@shadowdub: Yeah, I feel real bad for Costco and their narrow margins.

@krispykrink:
I would say right now, our culture is entirely based on comsumerism.

I never thought of the Southern Hemisphere folks celebrating in the middle of Summer. That's crazy talk.

I live in the South, and December is at least marginally cooler. Luckily, I have relatives who live up north, and they think I'm crazy for wanting to drive up there for Christmas just to see snow.

@pattiesmart: "And for you, Mom, a paper plate decorated with macaroni and spray painted gold. And Dad, Santa left something special just for you: a paper plate decorated with macaroni and spray painted silver! Sally, Bobby, and Susie, come here...I have some VERY special macaroni necklaces - rigatoni for you, Sally; elbow pasta for you, Bobby; and last but not least, Susie, you get super-special angel hair pasta - 'cause you're my little angel."

THAT would be my handmade craft gifts. No more Christams fun for RogerTheAlien.

[www.razzledazzlerecipes.com]

@pattiesmart: Ha! Tiny apartments make you really appreciate the space you have. My kitchen is so tiny that it's a challenge for two of us to be in it at once. And if the dishwasher door is open and down all the way, I can't open the fridge door more than 1 foot. Sigh.

I have also noticed that the prices on Xmas stuff keeps going up and up and up while the quality is decreasing so it has to be around 90% off to even get something at a decent price these days because the price is so inflated to begin with. The thing is I have so many Xmas decorations here that I don't even have room to put out what we have so its kind of pointless to buy more. The only thing I buy is a couple ornaments every year for a buck or 2 each so that I have something new to hang on the tree and to replace ones that are broken or horribly faded from age. I have enough wrapping paper to probably last me 5 more years so I definitely don't need to buy any more.

@pattiesmart:

I do realize its called capitalism- and 'capitalism' does not have to = a consumerist culture, just like its possible to have socialism co-exist with democracy.

I love Christmas, love having a 7 year old, its great.

But it strikes me as the height of
1) ridiculousness and
2) bad marketing

The first rule of capitalism- don't piss off your customers. I'd venture that 75% of the population thinks this is stupid.

@pattiesmart: I know...who would have thought that you could buy Christmas gifts other than on Christmas Eve? Insanity! No wonder people get cancer and die! Boo healthcare! Boo liberal left - they're ruining Christmas.

/hyperbole and sarcasm off/

@winshape: It's even worse when you live(d) in a place in SoCal or in Florida where Christmas kind of loses its meaning because it's 80 degrees outside, it's STILL September, AND you see Christmas decorations. Hell, it's 80 degrees outside on Christmas Day. Then you move to Australia and Christmas is in the summer time. It's like this never-ending cycle of getting kicked in the nether regions by non-Christmas-like seasons, actions, affronts. Humbug, I say.

@winshape: Personally, I didn't have any of this stuff last year so I was starting totally fresh. I didn't have ornaments, bows, garland, or anything. I had to buy everything before Christmas because I wasn't going to spend Christmas without any decorations because I had to wait until after the holidays.

@pecan 3.14159265: No, I do not cook. I don't have the kitchen or freezer/fridge space for massive cooking. Tiny apartments, yay!

The idea for putting ingredients in a basket is cute, though! That might work really well for someone who is either busy, like your friend, or someone young who just moved into their own apartment or something.

@JGKojak: You do realize our culture of consumerism is basically what this entire country is based on, right? It's called capitalism for a reason.

"And why do people buy cheap crap they don't need, 4 months before they "need" it-- probably to fill some hole in their soul that will be temporarily satisfied by the purchase of some piece of plastic made with slave labour."

ZOMG! Some people like Christmas! Some people find it fun to put up silly decorations and go all out! What is your problem? You sound like you have a hole in your soul. I don't even like Christmas much, but you're just a freakin' Grinch.

And what, exactly, does healthcare have to do with Christmas decorations? What a reach.

You do realize you don't have to buy Christmas items in August, don't you? You can wait until Thanksgiving. Many people do.

@pattiesmart: Do you cook at all? For Christmas, I'm thinking of putting together food kits for a really busy friend of mine. She and her husband both have their hands full with their kid, and sometimes really good, full meals are hard to come by. I was going to put together a basket of ingredients with really clear instructions so all she has to do is follow them and throw stuff into a pot.

However, that hasn't been true for a few years. It used to be you had rows and rows of stuff to choose from and get for 50-75% off immediately following Christmas. Now, you are hosed if you try to buy anything in the month of December, let alone after Christmas. Lowe's was down to a couple of Christmas endcaps about 2 weeks into December.

The After-Christmas sales are now relegated to a couple of shopping carts left in the middle of the aisle and filled with boxes of crappy cards, see-through 3ft square wrapping paper, wrestling/nascar ornaments, and maybe a couple of things of garland. Boooo.

@olderbudwizer: "Give homemade/handmade personal gifts instead"

If I did that, my family would kill me. I have no creative talent whatsoever. It's great that some people can make gifts, but many people can't or just simply don't have the time.

Also, gift cards are frowned upon here. I don't mind giving them to *some* people -- my good friend Eric, for instance, LOVES Target and will use any gift card from Target. His mom loves Starbucks gift cards.

But other people are harder (my family lives in a small town and there are NO STORES worth anything to give gift cards too), and it is honestly better sometimes to give people personalized gifts, like a CD or book or movie you know they want.

My dad is always easy to shop for because as long as I buy him a nerdy Discover or similar DVD, he is happy.

@winshape: At LEAST I hope they refrain from piping in X-mas music until after halloween-

Last year I was shopping for a costume w/my 7 year old, listening to Chestnuts roasting in an open fire...

The entire day, I couldn't shake the thought at how desperate the media was trying to do the hard sell of useless spending. I'm sure a lot of brain dead retards rushed out that day to rack up the CC debt in an effort to some how beat a BS shopping rush.

Re: my Hyperbole.

I stand by it- yes, I was deliberately insulting to make a point.

It IS what is wrong with this country- our culture of consumerism.

Most of the "good deals" this early are, as multiple articles here on Consumerist point out, really just enticements to buy shit you don't need.

And why do people buy cheap crap they don't need, 4 months before they "need" it-- probably to fill some hole in their soul that will be temporarily satisfied by the purchase of some piece of plastic made with slave labour.

God forbid the gubmint take over healthcare, when we can see the free market works so well, that stores clear out things people practically need (gardening supplies in summer/fall) to push what people don't need so they can make an extra buck. Yes, I trust these same free market principles with my life.

You know, there used to be joy in the after-Thanksgiving roll-out of the Christmas items. I'd even say that I'd be more likely to purchase said items in the ferver and excitement in immediate anticipation of the upcoming holiday. Instead, it just pisses me off.

As much as I hate myself for thinking about it, I actually may just go back to my local Costco to buy some colored LED light strings I saw they had over the weekend: a string of 100 colored LED's (GE branded IIRC) for $13 with two different sized glass enclosures (bulbs) to choose from.

Considering how much of a bear it was to find them last year and much higher prices than this, yea, I think I'm going to buy some....in August.

Sigh. I'm such a sucker.

The only way to try and combat it is with your wallet. Do not buy anything for X-mas or X-mas related until when you feel it is an appropriate time for people to start selling it. Also, remember that the best sales still don't happen till November anyways and there is always the internet for those of you who hate fighting the crowds as Dec. 25th gets closer.

@winshape: I love Christmas, and I agree that Christmas music in November (before Thanksgiving) is ridiculous. I hate listening to Christmas music. I accept that it'll be in the store, but I can't stand Christmas CDs in the car or Christmas radio stations. It's just overload, and it's worse when it's coming before the Christmas season!

I accept that Christmas stuff appears because I get that sometimes you get better deals that way, and I'm not opposed to saving money (especially this year cause I need a new tree). So I may note that it's only October and there's red and green stuff everywhere, but it's not like I think people are idiots for buying something earlier if it's a better deal. I've been planning Christmas gifts for the last three months. Just because it's for Christmas doesn't mean I have to buy it after Thanksgiving.

At this rate, Christmas will soon be the new Thanksgiving.

@floraposte: Yeah, it does suck when they take away product to put in Christmas product for 5 or 6 months.

@pecan 3.14159265: I know, the hyperbole in his comment is hilarious. "People shopping for Christmas sales in August are why our country is in the shitter!!!!"

Perhaps it's people like JGKojak with no sense of reality that is our problem.

@Radi0logy: I assume Hobby Lobby is a crafts store, yes? It makes a LOT of sense to have Christmas crafts early, because crafts can take time to create and plan.

@JGKojak: Some people just REALLY enjoy Christmas, or like getting an early start. Also, it's usually cheaper to buy Christmas items early when they are on sale, or directly after Christmas when the items are even cheaper.

I wouldn't do it because I'm not a fan of Christmas, but I don't exactly see how people shopping for the best price, or people who particularly love Christmas, or people who just like to plan far in advance (my aunt is like this) is somehow indicative of how intelligent someone is.

I love Christmas more than the next person, and even I can't stand listening to Christmas music piped in through the stores any more. Especially when is starts the day after Hallowe'en. The retailers are killing any sort of specialness that the holiday season might have had.

It's the real-life interpretation of the story about the kid who wanted it to be Christmas every day. It's the law of diminishing returns.

@JGKojak: What exactly is your problem? There's no need to insult people like that. There are plenty of people who buy things in August for December - in some cases, it's called "saving money" and "getting good deals" - and you incorrectly assume that it's the consumers who want this rather than companies who want to force it upon people.

Try looking for a portable air conditioner. That slot now holds Christmas ornaments. Computer models control everything. Resistance is futile.

Who are the sick fucks who want to shop for Christmas items in August?

Perhaps they should have a resident Psych who can provide OCD diagnoses and appropriate meds on hand.

What purpose does this serve?

If you tell me they actually make money on this, then this country is in worse shape than I thought- no wonder we're too big of morons to have a decent healthcare system.