Retailers Already Targeting Christmas Shoppers
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in many stores, and it's only September!
It's still summer, but some retailers like K-mart are already freezing the moment with holiday ads on TV and online. K-mart is promoting its layaway program.
Sunday, the retailer released a holiday ad with the gingerbread man sneaking up on a woman reminding her not to let the holidays do the same. A voice-over said, "Don't let the holidays sneak up on you. Shop early."
Ray Hilema, a shopper who watched the video said, "Oh. Well my goodness uh pretty soon they'll be starting on the 4th of July,"
On K-mart's Facebook page, there was outrage. Shoppers sounded off saying, "What happened to Halloween and thanksgiving?"
Friday in Doral, CBS4 found people who don't mind the early advertising blitz.
"It made me think that it's around the corner, I was like, 'Oh my God I really do have to start!'", said Blanca Vazquez.
At Walmart, the Halloween decorations and products are still on the shelves and it will still be a while before it looks like Christmas in here. But their official holiday season has already started-- kicking off their new layaway promotions.
Rehana Khan, a Walmart Manager said, "It's never too early. At Walmart we give customers as long as we can."
Walmart is now letting customers' layaway much earlier and for free. According to retail experts the early Christmas campaigns could bring forward the holiday cycle by a few weeks.
The National Retail Federation says 40 percent of shoppers start buying before Halloween. 20 percent by the end of September.
Maria Nibot is one of those shoppers. She heard about Walmart's holiday layaway launch today and didn't waste any time. She said, "It's a convenience for me. I'm being able to break my payments through a longer time."
While Maria gets ahead with her budget the Christmas controversy will continue to brew after K-mart unleashed its advertising blitz six to eight weeks earlier than normal. Outdoing Target's promotional launch last October.
