Christmas shopping in October? Apparently it's becoming a big deal

Shoppers are starting early with October 5 being declared by retailers as "Stock Up Saturday." Consumers are already Christmas shopping which means more of the revenue available to retailers will be harvested earlier in the shopping season. For retailers that choose to wait, they may find fewer sales.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Stock Up Saturday is the coined term for the first Saturday in October when shoppers hit the stores and the Web for Christmas bargains. The reason for this early phenomenon is two-fold. Retailers are marketing early and often in a bid to build brand awareness, and consumers are buying early to minimize the budget impact of shopping.

The Christmas holiday has become incredibly commercialized and while Americans in particular decry this shift, they still turn out in record numbers spending more and more of their hard-earned cash on more stuff. Retailers have sensed this early frenzy of activity and they're cashing in too.

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Already many big-brand retailers have encroached on Thanksgiving and because of the late holiday this year, are expected to push sales even earlier in the month while opening on Thanksgiving Day; no more waiting until 12:01.

The short season also makes this season much more competitive for retailers who need to get themselves in front of consumers before they blow their budgets.

All this adds up to a blitz of advertising earlier in the year, making some people uncomfortable. However a stroll down your local big-box store isles will reveal that Christmas marketing is in full swing in October.

Consumers are also being driven to accept this trend, even though they often claim to hate it. With purchasing power declining overall, year-after-year, consumers have to get creative with their holiday plans. The easiest solution (for some) is to spread purchases over the preceding months as opposed to waiting for the shopping season to hit full stride.

A whopping 70 percent of shoppers say they will do at least some Christmas shopping in October. This is consistent with year-after-year trends which show a steady increase in early shopping.

Additionally, online commerce is booming, and is growing by double digit percentages each year. Online is seen as an alternative to fighting with crowds and it's generally convenient. Making an online purchase takes no more time than a sale at a register and the shopper doesn't have to dress up to go out. Online shopping also facilitates impulse purchases which can be made at any time of day or night.

At this point, most retailers are positioned as well as they can be for the holidays. The ads are running and the shopping has started. Those holdouts who are waiting for Thanksgiving, or even just Halloween may find their share of the Christmas bounty is distinctly smaller as consumers spread fewer dollars earlier than ever before.

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