Was at my local Lowes yesterday: July 28

They ALREADY have Halloween crap out!

I’ve been noticing it more and more in the past 10 years or so but this is getting stupid. It’s friggen JULY!

After July 4, Halloween is the next holiday. That said, retail seasonal usually has ‘back to school’ as a season, too, but retailers know that b2s usually sells down or out fast, and is also being stiffed by online competition. So half Halloween, half b2s, and then when B2s sells down, they may have some “fall” seasonal decor rather than all Halloween.

I also assume it has to do with when China makes and ships seasonal stuff like cheap Halloween costumes and temporary Christmas decor.

Also, with retail stores moving to online pick-up, some back room storage has transitioned into fridges and freezers and pick-up order room. It used to be that If you see it on shelves, chances are it’s been been in the back room for a few weeks. But now there’s hardly any backstocking and shit gets pushed to the floor sooner rather than later. This transition bit retailers in the ass during covid and means that small interruptions of shipping can have big ripples across retail.

Buuut Thems are the trends. I am glad i don’t work retail anymore…

My Lowe's had some of the big outdoor display creeps out two weeks ago this Monday. The grocery store in the same shopping center had some of the Halloween candy out (the M&M/Mars brand stuff) then too. Another grocer had Halloween candy out this past Monday. The local arts and crafts store began Autumn about a week after July 4 (Christmas items usually show up there beginning mid-August).

At least my local beverage store said the Oktoberfest brews will begin arriving the first week of August. Halloween, before Oktoberfest? Bah! Humbug!

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Originally posted by rat2306:


At least my local beverage store said the Oktoberfest brews will begin arriving the first week of August.

Oh, don’t even get me started on that bullshit.

Oktoberfest beer in August means when you actually want an Oktoberfest beer in late September or October, there’s none to be found and all there is is Christmas beer.

Sam Adams is the one responsible for starting that arms race, you can look it up.

quote:

They ALREADY have Halloween crap out!

Yummy! I wait all year for this.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:


At least my local beverage store said the Oktoberfest brews will begin arriving the first week of August.

Oh, don’t even get me started on that bullshit.

Oktoberfest beer in August means when you actually want an Oktoberfest beer in late September or October, there’s none to be found and all there is is Christmas beer.

Sam Adams is the one responsible for starting that arms race, you can look it up.

I've noticed that also.

I saw the shit at Costco this week and said the same thing. I just ignore it all, the holidays, all of them sans Holy days of obligation.

Agreed! I can't stand the "season creep". I can mostly tolerate what's going on, but if I hear Christmas music before December I won't even set foot in a store.

Damn stores creep everything from holidays to seasonal clothing.

Last year I went to Dallas for the weekend. I left straight from work, and when I arrived at the hotel realized I had forgot to pack a pair of shorts. No way I'm going to the Texas State Fair and walking around on asphalt in long pants. We had to go to 6 stores to find a pair of shorts despite it being normal to wear shorts that time of year.

School starts around here on August 8th. If I were dumb enough to go to the mall, I'd be willing wager a large sum that the clothing stores would be full of fall and winter clothing even though it's going to be brutally hot here for another 2.5 to 3 months.

Costco in N Houston last weekend, 7/22. 1 small display of Christmas stuff was out near the main entrance.

Not a holiday, but "back to school" seems to start earlier and earlier. (This varies by area, but the school year here doesn't start until well into September.) The state even had a tax-free weekend for purchases of clothing, school supplies, computers and such.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Not a holiday, but "back to school" seems to start earlier and earlier. (This varies by area, but the school year here doesn't start until well into September.) The state even had a tax-free weekend for purchases of clothing, school supplies, computers and such.

Don’t schools in the South start going back in early to mid August now?

When I was coming up through school in PA, it was written in stone for every school district I ever attended that school did not start until after Labor Day.

Looks like Starbucks is starting pumpkin spice nonsense on Aug 29th.

I wonder if the grocery store is going to have Oktoberfest beer next week?

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Don’t schools in the South start going back in early to mid August now?

Having been out of the game, so to speak, for over 40 years, I could be off a month or two. But it seems early. I have a recollection of "back to school" starting in the second half of August.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

Don’t schools in the South start going back in early to mid August now?

Having been out of the game, so to speak, for over 40 years, I could be off a month or two. But it seems early. I have a recollection of "back to school" starting in the second half of August.

8/8 for my kids this year

Get tuned up for pumpkin spice.

quote:

Originally posted by Dented:

if I hear Christmas music before December I won't even set foot in a store.

Doesn't bother me at all. I have a mute switch on my hearing aids.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
Was at my local Lowes yesterday: July 28

They ALREADY have Halloween crap out!

That's nothing, a Spirit Halloween store opened up recently four miles from my house!

Know why Lowe’s put those out? Because Home Depot put theirs out. Those two stores are like bickering children in a race to one up each other.

quote:

Originally posted by Dented:
Agreed! I can't stand the "season creep". I can mostly tolerate what's going on, but if I hear Christmas music before December I won't even set foot in a store.

Good luck with your shopping in November. Your choices will be severely limited after 11/1.