It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Retail experts expect the holiday selling season, typically reserved for the period following Thanksgiving through Dec. 25, to begin in October, earlier than ever this year as consumers scramble to avoid crowds and try to get a jumpstart on shopping amid the coronavirus.
Already, holiday-related email promotions from the likes of Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and West Elm began running in mid-September. L.O.L. Surprise!, the popular toy brand, has begun an influencer-infused holiday campaign to support the launch of its new musically themed Remix product. And Carter’s, the baby brand, is even emailing customers with the subject line, “Last chance to get ready for the holidays.”
It’s hardly the last chance, but retailers are clearly in an “early bird gets the worm” kind of mood in a year unlike any other. Halloween advertising also began on the early side. Today, a new consumer survey from global consulting firm AlixPartners found that 49 percent of consumers plan to begin their holiday shopping before Oct. 31. The firm is now cataloguing the holiday shopping season as beginning in October, rather than November.