Santa Claus appears to be joining us for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Again.
First used in the 1980s, "Christmas Creep" describes the way retail stores start holiday shopping early to boost sales.
Traditionally, the Christmas season begins on the day after Thanksgiving.
In recent years, holiday shopping promotions start as early as October.
"Every year, they do it sooner," Otto Cantrell, a Milpitas Great Mall employee, said. "Kmart ran this ad on TV in the middle of September ... and a gingerbread man snuck up on an office lady."
ABC news coverage says that holiday shopping equates to up to 40 percent of yearly sales and merchants try to convince consumers to buy earlier at higher prices to increase profits.
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| Unadjusted retail statistics courtesy of the National Retail Federation |
"I don't want to do it all last minute," says Ellie Coel, a De Anza health sciences major.
"I tried that last year and it was horrible."
"I tried that last year and it was horrible."
Coel said the stores she went to had long lines, and her target items were sold out or not discounted.
"I ended up buying most of the gifts at full price because I didn't care anymore."
When asked what advice she has for fellow shoppers, Coel said: Buy it now, don't wait.
Coel's cousin, 24-year-old Martin Braeden, disagrees. He claimed that stores raise prices before discounting them.
Braeden explains the effect mitigates imagined savings by more than half. "When it says fifty percent off, it might only be something like 20 or 25."
He suggests watching stores's sales patterns to spot good buys.
Jeremiah Salazar said he isn't fretting over Christmas gifts.
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| Ellie Coel ducking into the line for Coach Factory at Great Mall Milpitas |
"My mom gets gifts for our family in the Philippines." Salazar said he only buys gifts for his parents and close friends.
Cantrell said his wife does the shopping, and even buys her own gift for him to give her.
Cantrell had to have Christmas Creep explained to him, but said his only concern was Christmas Creep creeping over Halloween.
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| Meet the Creep |
The Creep, an anti-promotional Christmas ornament mascot for Consumerist's creepwatch, smirks foully while toting anti-Halloween signs.
"[Christmas Creep] is adorably evil," says SFSU student Leilah Sung.
"I saw him at a Walmart last year with a 'christmascreep2012' sign and employees were snapping pictures of it."
Sung says after a manager removed the "cute, red imp" she became inspired to leave more Creeps lying around.
Her curiosity took her to the original blog entry which provided her a pictures and instructions to print, cut out, and leave in stores that put out holiday decor too early.
"I don't think [Christmas Creep] will stop," Sung says, while scribbling messages onto blank mascots.
"But these things make people smile and think, so it's worth it."
Do you think retailers are starting Christmas too early? Explain your answer in the comments.
