It was like a shock to me! I went "CHRISTMAS!?" Wow. Yes, really. It is almost the holiday season.
I am looking for some advice from you.
As you know, we own a retail store (Women's Accessories) and I am wondering when to decorate for Christmas.
www.allposters.com
1. I hate when the stores are decorated too soon, ignoring Thanksgiving altogether.
2. However decorating for Christmas helps remind people that they need that gift for Aunt Suzie and wouldn't that darling bracelet be perfect.
3. At home I personally wait until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate, and we keep up the decor until New Years Day. It feels wrong to eat Thanksgiving dinner with a Christmas tree up.
4. The shoppe is different than my home - it is a place of business.
So, I am looking for your thoughts.
When do we decorate? We want to help people be in the shopping mood - but not be obnoxious about it.
I was thinking perhaps the day before Thanksgiving, that way when we open on Black Friday, it will be the Christmas season. But that may not be soon enough in retail land.
Thanks for your help!
11 comments:
My two cents...
I feel exactly as you do about enjoying autumn and giving Thanksgiving my full attention! (We even have the same decorating schedule! ~grin~)
BUT...in retail, I suspect that it is different. Even now (and remember, I am an avowed fall lover...see my comment over at Vee's today) I find myself going over to the Christmas displays in stores and mulling over possibilities for decorating or wrapping or gift ideas. I even (!) bought a couple of rolls of gift wrap last week when I went to Walmart, because you just can't wait until the last minute to do everything, as much as I would like to.
So I am thinking that customers will begin looking for Christmas decorations and gifts as they shop in your store.
I am interested to know what others will say...
I don't imagine that that is soon enough in retail land.
Like you, I decorate the day and weekend following Thanksgiving and, because the tree is not real, I am able to leave the decorations up through Epiphany. The Lights of Christmas are very important to my emotional well being on the darkest days of winter. By Epiphany, I am cheered by the lengthening days.
So I'd ask fellow retailers and take my cue from them. It's not the retailers' fault that Thanksgiving comes at such an unlikely time in the U.S. It should be in October and then it would make more sense all the way around! ☺
Better yet! Ask the Father. What would He like you to do? You never know what He might say.
When I was still working part-time at the bookstore on campus, they started decorating for Christmas and playing Christmas music the first week of November.
People were already thinking of Christmas gifts at that time.
Since I'm not a huge retail shopper, I really don't know what's best from that angle.
I DO enjoy most everything about Christmas though and have no objection to extending the lights, the music, and the hospitality that goes along with it for as long as one can!
I'm with Vee, I wish our Thanksgiving was in October, like the Canadian Thanksgiving is.....But I digress, I think the advice you've received so far is good. I don't mind if retailers start doing Christmas before Thanksgiving, however I do object when they start in September! That is crazy-early.
Id say to have it decorated for black friday, but I would hate to see your family celebration cut short because you have to go decorate... So maybe the weekend before?
I shop all year for christmas but always put my decorations at home the first weekend in December and take them down on boxing day.
Merle...
I am just like you (and obviously others based on comments) in the desire to keep Christmas decorations at bay until Thanksgiving is over. Like the others, though, I also think that it's different in retail.
I hate it when a business whips the decorations early and rushes the season, but I definitely don't think Nov. 1 is rushing the season for retail. I vote for then.
I hope this Christmas season is a huge retail success for you!
How about the weekend before Thanksgiving. Or perhaps, you could slowly incorporate it. A counter that transitions fall to winter??
Your white lights could begin appearing now....L-) That is, if you were inclined to use white lights.
I have enjoyed reading all these comments! Its a tricky thing in retail world!
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