As consumers in an industry where inflation is on the rise, our expenditure is always being chipped away at until our impulse purchases are laughing at us in their evil way. They know that they’ve tricked us into thinking we need them but they’re just a luxury that we only want.
Goods on sale, merchandising in windows, big label prices that charm us with a percentage off the final total: all tricks of the trade. But there’s one trick that always remains to catch us out. The worst thing is, we can never dodge this trick or turn our backs on to it, it’s merely just a case of letting it be and saying a prayer to the bank gods.
Here’s what happens: you have the New year starting off in January which brings you all the sales and pre-Valentine stock out, February leads you to Valentine’s Day and pre-St Patrick’s Day stock, March to April holds our St Patrick’s Day and Easter Holiday with Easter eggs hitting the shelves before March.
The months of May, June and July hold summer sales and the Mother’s and Father’s Days fall in between those first six months of the year. August holds the end of summer sales while September braces us with Halloween stock as well as Christmas stock.
We’re not only getting ready for one holiday, but now two? The quicker the Halloween stock sells, the more Christmas stock that takes its place on the shelf. Essentially, we’re preparing for one holiday before it begins while just finishing the previous: funny, right?
However, they’re clever in how they do it. When it comes around to September and October time they know that as soon as October 31st dies and goes to the grave for another year it’s straight into November 1st – which is preparation time for Christmas season.
One particular retailer outlet had nearly their whole Christmas display out and stocked before mid-October even hit the calendar and consumers went crazy buying the stock while the shops small Halloween section was left abandoned.
I love Halloween and Christmas, but I do not stand for Christmas goods being displayed before Halloween. The question I would love to put to consumers is, how would you feel if Halloween was after Christmas, the Halloween goods displayed more than the Christmas goods? How would that make you feel? One answer: furious.
Retailers will continue to play this dirty little game, but as consumers, we’re simply just trying to enjoy one holiday at a time without the pressure of having to buy for two.
The rules should be set as follows: September is the month to slowly introduce Halloween stock into shops and by October people can get what they need for this one approaching holiday for October. As soon as November hits then the Christmas stock can grace the shelves and consumer eyes with its presence.
We live in an economy where goods are being increased. Prices are skyrocketing to the point where we have to draw a line and sadly tell ourselves we can’t afford it this year,so trying to focus on one thing would be nice instead of feeling the pressure to prepare for two things at the one time.
I wonder will this ever change. Or is this strategy going to remain in place for future generations? I don’t have that answer right now, but I know one thing for sure, that being I could never become like a fellow family member of mine who completes her Christmas shopping during the summer months.
