*Yet Another In An Endless String Of
This is either endlessly amusing or endlessly pathetic.
Or both.
For the background, you'll want to read the only real-time evolving post I've ever written. Glenn Reynolds liked it so much he gave it a link when the madness was over.
Another Successful Disappointing Holiday Season
And, of course, as the holiday shopping season advances further and further every year, and more and more people buy their presents at some "Pre-Christmas Summer Close-Out Sale", fewer and fewer people spend their money during December, the actual holiday shopping season.
As such, every year after Christmas, the major chains complain more and more about how holiday sales were "disappointing". Every year, a longer season, and a bigger disappointment.
Now, in a rational world, the retailers would recognize this terrible trend and do something to counter it. Like, oh, actually leaving the holiday shopping season for the holidays.
But no.
'OctoNovemCember'? Retailers speed holiday calendar
Despite the loud sighs and eye rolling that usually occurs when shoppers see Christmas decorations in stores parked next to an aisle of Halloween candy, shoppers are taking advantage of the layaway programs, the toy reservation schemes and early discounting as a way to soften the holiday’s blow to the household budget.
If you read my article, you'll recognize 'early discounting' as one of the innumerable, interminable reasons for the disappointing season.
But wait, you cry! That's just one silly article. Surely, the media isn't actually going to fall for such tomfoolery, are they?
The same day:
Black Friday: What's Going to Be On Sale?
It’s still more than a month away, but retailers are gearing up for their Black Friday sales, and the discount predictions are rolling in.
In my article, the first mention of the upcoming, highly-anticipated disappointing holiday shopping season was on November 13.
The above article is dated October 12.
In the seasons since my post, they've leaped ahead by more than a month.
Happy OctoNovemCember Holiday, everyone! Enjoy the day off!
