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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009

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Texas Accidentally Bans Straight Marriage

Law designed to forbid gay civil unions actually bars any unions

Nov 19, 09 7:28 AM CST
The Decade's Best Quotes

Nov 21, 09 5:48 AM CST
College Threatens to Fail Students for Obesity

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|NEXT STORY »

Ho-Ho-Hold on a Minute, Xmas in July?

Stores launch summer promotions to snag holiday dollars early

By Rob Quinn| Posted Jul 31, 09 4:38 AM CDT|

(Newser) – It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in malls across the country as stores angle for some extremely early holiday dollars, the Wall Street Journal reports. Retailers like Toys'R'US, Sears and Kmart have dragged Santa away from his summer break and launched July Christmas promotions, hoping to boost sales with a touch of festive spirit and help recession-hit consumers spread out their holiday spending.

Some shoppers say they love the summer Christmas sales and are glad of the chance to beat the crowds and get bargains on things like holiday decorations. Others complain that it smacks of desperation and want the festive spirit banished for at least another couple of months. "It's ridiculous," said one Dallas shopper on seeing a Christmas display in Sears. "Let's get past Halloween first."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Christmas displays are already up in some major retailers despite there being a full 147 shopping days to go. (Shutter Stock)

Santa Clauses gather at the annual summertime World Santa Claus Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. (AP Photo/Carsten Snejbjerg, Polfoto)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

The president was passing laws, gave a call to Santa Claus. He said, 'Get that toy machine on high.
Economy is in a slump.
I know what could pick it up.
This year let's have Christmas in July.' - Lyrics to Christmas in July

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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10 comments

VIEWING:

weglad
Jul 31, 09 5:52 AM CDT

Oooh goody! Let's get out and pump up that trade deficit with China! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

oldgoat
Jul 31, 09 5:55 AM CDT

I can't stand these early Christmas sales ploys. The whole idea of Christmas has gotten so material now that even the stores rely on it for life and death. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

armywife
Jul 31, 09 7:22 AM CDT

we've quit giving presents at christmas in my family. we focus instead on spending time with each other and relaxing. it's made xmas much less stressful and saves us a lot of money each year :) Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 31, 09 9:55 AM CDT

We do the same in our house.

| 0 minutes ago

atomick
Jul 31, 09 9:48 AM CDT

I think we should pass a law that nobody is allowed to even mention the word "Christmas" in a retail establishment until after Santa Clause appears in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Once you see Santa, go for it, but until then no decorations, no sales, and NO DAMN CHIRSTMAS SONGS! Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Yourself
Jul 31, 09 11:13 AM CDT

why does Macy's get to set the precedents? Who made them the decider of X-Mass season? Look, i'm no fan of the holiday being brought up in July either, but stating that Macy's is the one to kick off the season doesn't work either in my books.

IN RESPONSE:

atomick
Aug 14, 09 11:05 AM CDT

Because the parade's on Thanksgiving.

| 0 minutes ago

Yourself
Jul 31, 09 10:40 AM CDT

well, won't be shopping at Sears, KMart or Toys r Us ANY time soon. and i hope they read this, cause i'm serious. if i walk in a store and see x-mass shit, i'm out faster then the fat kid in dodgeball! Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Netstorm2k9
Jul 31, 09 12:27 PM CDT

AH Greed! The American way. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

SantaClaus
Oct 7, 09 3:25 PM CDT

My legal name is Santa Claus; and, I believe that the greatest gift one can give is love, not presents. I believe that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, not the crass, commercial, secular spectacle it has become in many places. At a time when many children will not have enough food to eat or a roof over their heads, perhaps, consumers will make a contribution to their local community's shelter local public or private children's organization. There are more than 2 million children in the U.S. annually who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized through no fault of their own. That's 1 out of 37 children in our great nation. That number is increasing, in part, due to the economic crisis. I do not think that vulnerable children in dire straits appreciate or directly benefit from the crass commercialism portrayed in your article. Blessings, Santa Claus TheSantaClausFoundation.org Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 10 comments »

retail • recession • retail sales • Christmas • holiday shopping • shoppers • Christmas shopping

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Associated Press

Survey suggests holiday shopping in 9-state Midwest region to slump 1.6 percent...
(Nov 2, 09 9:18 AM CST)
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(Oct 30, 09 6:03 AM CDT)
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Ho-Ho-Hold on a Minute, Xmas in July?