"Enchanted" Christmas Cheer Invades Tropical Park
MIAMI (CBS4) - Halloween is two weeks away, but already the holiday spirit is filling stores and the streets of South Florida, making it feel a lot like Christmas in October.
Workers at Santa's Enchanted Forest in Tropical Park are already gearing up for the end of year holiday season.
"It's millions of lights, hundreds of trees so that'll tell you we've got a lot of production going on," said L.D. Cormican.
He said hammering away in the heat of October for the holiday season isn't out of the ordinary for them, and apparently not for retail stores either. Halloween is two weeks away and big box stores like Walmart are already filling their shelves with Halloween and holiday merchandise.
"Both are doing very well," said Walmart Manager Eddie Marciniak. "It's almost like Christmas is going quicker than Halloween."
Marciniak says the move is customer driven.
Marketing experts say extending the buying season is key for retailers who often make the bulk of their money at the end of the year.
"The consumer is changing, buying in so many markets online, on their cell phones and in person, so marketers have to capture the consumer anywhere they are any way whenever they can," said FIU Associate Professor of Marketing Kimberly Taylor. "They want to be the first mover, and the early bird gets the worm."
