Why do stores put up Halloween stuff in the middle of July

[snowc]

Halloween isn't for another 2 months, and already stores are prepping for the spooky holiday.
But why now? Can't they just wait until September to release it?
Walmart has theirs online, Target too, and now Lowes?

[snowc]

To add on what I was saying

Walmart has fall decor on their site in the middle of summer.

[hotdogPi]

Crafts take time to make.

Also, for the Spirit Halloween stores, they need time to hire the employees and set up the store.

If it's online, as you said it was, what's the problem? It's not taking up shelf space.

Cracker Barrel has Christmas stuff out, by the way. They're about 15 days early compared to when they typically start putting it out.

[MATraveler128]

TJ Maxx already has their Halloween stuff out. And most grocery stores already have Halloween candy out by late July to early August.

[Big John]

Last year at Walmart, I saw a display of pumpkins and thought it was way too early for Halloween, then as I walked closer, I saw all of them had in smaller print "Happy Thanksgiving".

[bing101]

Halloween isn't for another 2 months, and already stores are prepping for the spooky holiday.
But why now? Can't they just wait until September to release it?
Walmart has theirs online, Target too, and now Lowes?

It takes some time for staff to set up and rent a store site in some places. Also this stuff co-inside with stores having a back to school sale given that in some places that starts in August.

[Rothman]

If people will buy it, they sell it.

[Scott5114]

The longer the promotion goes, the more likely they can squeeze every last dollar out of it.

[Road Hog]

A farm store in town has these farm animal skeletons already out and they can't keep 'em long enough. Especially the cow skeletons.

[Max Rockatansky]

Because people buy it.  If retailers sell Halloween stuff now then they also likely sell it at retail cost (meaning maximized profits).  That leaves a minimum of stock on hand which has be sold at clearance prices (that and it depreciates over time).

[jeffandnicole]

A) People buy it now. And if they don't buy it now, they see it and have it in mind for when they do decide to buy it.

B) What else do you put in the area of the store reserved for seasonal stuff? There isn't exactly a lot of "August/September" seasonal stuff.  Back to school stuff goes elsewhere in the store.

C) We've already bought candy corn.

[SP Cook]

I'm old.  When I was a kid, Halloween was a one day, actually one night, holiday for children.  The modern practice of decorating one's house for weeks in advance, adults having parties, and so on, at least where I have lived, is of modern invention. 

As to the question, stores putting season merchandise out too early is a theme in "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving", which was made in 1973, so there is that.  I really cannot think of someone who would buy material associated with a particular holiday months in advance on the idea that they might not get back to that store again, it seems to me that stores have a designated place for the next holiday, and it gets filled as soon as the previous holiday is over, no matter the length.  What happens after 4th of July depends on the store, so have "back to school" stuff or football season related tailgate items in that space, some go straight to Halloween.

There used to be a guy on 60 Minutes who had a thing that we should move all the holidays around so we got every 6th Monday off.  Not a bad idea.

[Big John]

^^ The early placement was in It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown where they showed the department store having a Christmas sale during the Easter season.

[jeffandnicole]

The Peanuts comic strip also had something relating to that. People think holiday merchandise gets earlier and earlier every year, and while there may be a little truth to that, it's not that much earlier. People seem to have a mindset that stuff was out the previous year after Thanksgiving for Christmas, which hasn't beenthr case in forever.

[SEWIGuy]

Halloween isn't for another 2 months, and already stores are prepping for the spooky holiday.
But why now? Can't they just wait until September to release it?
Walmart has theirs online, Target too, and now Lowes?

Because it sells.

[ZLoth]

The stores have to make early orders on this stuff, and are running out of room in the back storage. Soon, you will see the Christmas stuff.

[Pink Jazz]

If you think it's too early for Halloween, fashion companies typically put out the first of their spring/summer collections in January (sometimes December of the previous year) and their fall/winter collections in July (sometimes June).

[epzik8]

Dollar General is notorious for it as well.

[roadman65]

The stores have to make early orders on this stuff, and are running out of room in the back storage. Soon, you will see the Christmas stuff.

Yes the Christmas stuff is in starting late September and then Valentines Day stuff on December 26.

I hear it all the time every year when the Knights of Columbus have their Keep Christ in Christmas campaign about how secularism has changed the season and such, so I know the seasons of the shopping markets.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Costco had Halloween costumes out in May.

Unfortunately, most retailers are trying to get a jump on each season earlier and earlier. As a former CVS employee I can attest that if the Halloween stuff is out, the Christmas stuff is in the back. I worked on New Year's Eve (a 12-hour shift, but for triple pay, probably the only decent paycheck I got from them) and the Easter stuff was already in the back when I went to help unload a truck. The truck contained Valentine's Day items.

[SEWIGuy]

Costco had Halloween costumes out in May.

Unfortunately, most retailers are trying to get a jump on each season earlier and earlier. As a former CVS employee I can attest that if the Halloween stuff is out, the Christmas stuff is in the back. I worked on New Year's Eve (a 12-hour shift, but for triple pay, probably the only decent paycheck I got from them) and the Easter stuff was already in the back when I went to help unload a truck. The truck contained Valentine's Day items.

Why is this "unfortunate?" I truly don't understand why this bothers people so much. They wouldn't put it out there if people didn't buy it.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Costco had Halloween costumes out in May.

Unfortunately, most retailers are trying to get a jump on each season earlier and earlier. As a former CVS employee I can attest that if the Halloween stuff is out, the Christmas stuff is in the back. I worked on New Year's Eve (a 12-hour shift, but for triple pay, probably the only decent paycheck I got from them) and the Easter stuff was already in the back when I went to help unload a truck. The truck contained Valentine's Day items.

Why is this "unfortunate?" I truly don't understand why this bothers people so much. They wouldn't put it out there if people didn't buy it.

It's unfortunate mainly because it really makes time seem to go by a lot faster than it already does.

[SEWIGuy]

Costco had Halloween costumes out in May.

Unfortunately, most retailers are trying to get a jump on each season earlier and earlier. As a former CVS employee I can attest that if the Halloween stuff is out, the Christmas stuff is in the back. I worked on New Year's Eve (a 12-hour shift, but for triple pay, probably the only decent paycheck I got from them) and the Easter stuff was already in the back when I went to help unload a truck. The truck contained Valentine's Day items.

Why is this "unfortunate?" I truly don't understand why this bothers people so much. They wouldn't put it out there if people didn't buy it.

It's unfortunate mainly because it really makes time seem to go by a lot faster than it already does.

It does? I have never thought that but OK...

[WillWeaverRVA]

It does? I have never thought that but OK...

I guess it's really something you don't notice unless you work in or spend a lot of time in retail. "Oh, it's Christmas, time to put the Valentine's Day stuff out. It's Valentine's Day, put the spring stuff out," etc.

It also doesn't help when you work somewhere that starts playing Christmas music 24/7 in the middle of November.

[SEWIGuy]

It does? I have never thought that but OK...

I guess it's really something you don't notice unless you work in or spend a lot of time in retail. "Oh, it's Christmas, time to put the Valentine's Day stuff out. It's Valentine's Day, put the spring stuff out," etc.

It also doesn't help when you work somewhere that starts playing Christmas music 24/7 in the middle of November.

That makes sense. And maybe its because when I go to stores, it's usually for very specific items and its a quick in and out.