Here are four of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness. [More]
decorations
Star Shower Price War Shows Us Why Other Retailers Are Terrified Of Amazon
By 12.14.16 — Updated: 12.16.16
You’re probably already familiar with the Star Shower — the contraption that covers large surfaces with colorful points of light — but you may never have realized how an online price war over this sort of gadget tells us much more about the relationship between Amazon and the rest of the retail world. [More]
Target Recalls 127K Halloween Window Clings Over Choking Hazard
By 10.21.16
One of the easiest — and less messy — ways to decorate for any holiday is to slap a few plastic clings to your windows, and if those decorations happen to include lights, even better. Except, of course, if you bought some of those products from Target, as the retailer has recalled 127,000 Halloween-themed LED gel clings. [More]
Home Depot Pulling Super Creepy Peeping Tom Halloween Decoration
By 9.28.16
There is a profound difference between spooky-scary and scary-scary, a lesson that Home Depot is currently learning the hard way after offering a Peeping Tom Halloween decoration that hits way too close to home for some. [More]
Consumers Expected To Spend More Than $6.9 Billion On Halloween Costumes, Candy & Decorations
By 9.24.15
The candy, the costumes, the decorations: it appears that excitement – or rather spending – surrounding the upcoming Halloween holiday isn’t quite what it used to be, with consumers expected to spend less on all the revelry associated with the spooky day than last year at just $6.9 billion. [More]
Macy’s Herald Square Welcomes The Start Of Fall By Putting Up Christmas Decorations
By 9.23.15
Twinkling lights have been hung on boughs of evergreen with care, sparkling ornaments are shining merrily in their Christmas trees and Santa’s sleigh waits, gleaming and ready, behind a velvet rope. All before the first official day of fall, at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City. [More]
Black Bear Has Absolutely No Problem Knocking Santa Claus Out
By 12.18.14
Hide your snowmen, hide your reindeer and get Santa Claus somewhere safe: Mother Nature might not agree with your taste in lawn ornaments and as such, has zero problems whatsoever with totally mucking up your holiday display. [More]
Texas Drought Spurs Mistletoe Shortage
By 12.22.11
If you’ve had a hard time finding mistletoe hanging at your office — encouraging festivity-endorsed sexual harassment — credit a Texas drought for causing a shortage in the smooch-mandating parasitic plant. [More]
Forget St. Nicholas – On To St. Valentine's Day!
By 12.24.10
Are you tired of Christmas, and ready to start planning your Valentine’s Day party? Brian writes that the midwestern grocer Dahl’s is ready to help you, since they’ve already put out their display of Valentine’s Day-themed plates and napkins. We can all eat our chocolate eggs off them before December slips away.
[More]
It's June, Time For Hobby Lobby To Kick Off The Christmas Creep Season
By 6.20.10
People, it’s June! Why is Hobby Lobby selling Christmas wreaths?! Two years ago Hobby Lobby rolled out the trees in August. Last year they decked the halls in July. We’re going to celebrate Christmas all through 2015 at this rate. Seriously Hobby Lobby, call us if you ever decide to throw one of those “We’ve Gone Crazy!” sales. We’ll totally vouch for you. Hit the jump for some unreasonably unseasonal pictures. [More]
Gas Fire Columns Recalled For Being Too Aptly Named
By 4.5.10
Some outdoor gas fire columns sold through Costco in the past 6-7 months have been recalled, because “gas can leak from connections in the column, posing a fire hazard.” I guess that’s why the photo shows it next to a serene koi pond–it’s so you can grab a rake and push it into the water if it gets too fire column-y. [More]
We Don't Know Why People Keep Sending Us Pictures Of These Candlesticks
By 2.3.10
But we would like you to stop. Please. [More]
I Wonder Why This Ornament Didn't Sell
By 12.29.09
Josh sent us this photo of an ornament he found on the post-Christmas discount racks a few days ago. He notes, “Just goes to show you that typographic layout matters.”
Watch Out For Fire Hazardy Knock-Off Christmas Lights
By 12.23.09
CBS’s The Early Show aired a segment last Friday about counterfeit holiday lights and extension cords, mostly from China and mostly available at dollar stores, that can cause fires. The problem is that the manufacturers use shoddy materials, and sometimes even fake UL stickers, to give the impression that they’re following safety guidelines. You find out they’re not when your tree goes up in flames. [More]
Christmas Light Shortage Sweeps The Nation
By 12.18.09
Maybe there is no such thing as Christmas retreat. Maybe there’s just a light shortage. News outlets across the country have reported on a shortage of strings of lights. Somewhere, Clark Griswold weeps. [More]
POLL: When Is Too Early For Christmas Creep?
By 11.6.09
After we proposed tracking Starbucks’s roll out of Christmas products as a metric to gauge yearly Christmas Creep, we got a fair amount of comments saying they saw no problem with Christmas stuff coming out once Halloween was over. So, inside, a poll: at what point does Christmas Creep become acceptable holiday display?
Christmas This Year Will Be Less Tacky
By 10.7.09
Because retailers plan their Christmas offerings so far in advance, most were too far along with trendy or ostentatious Christmas merchandise to change course last year, reports the Associated Press. This year they’re prepared to pursue the fiscally conservative consumer, which means everyone is selling the holiday decor equivalent of comfort food.
Hobby Lobby Starts Off The Christmas Creep Season In July This Year
By 7.15.09
Last year we had to wait until August before Hobby Lobby busted out the Christmas cheer. Not this year! They’ve got things rolling in July, baby. And no, this isn’t a “Christmas in July” sale.
