Sears Says Ho Ho Ho This Summer
Launches Christmas merchandise in July
By KRISTIN NEHLS
Updated 11:55 AM CST, Sat, Jul 11, 2009
Seriously, Sears.
Chicago has very few months of warmth each year. Must you remind us of the looming winter weather smack dab in the middle of July?
We’ve all heard of Christmas in July, but it’s never been taken so seriously as the Hoffman Estates-based retailer Sears. While most of us recovered from Fourth of July hangovers, Sears.com and Kmart.com launched the online boutique called Christmas Lane.
Wait, hold on. Christmas shopping? Now? Didn’t we just get the weight off from the last holiday?
And we thought decorations before Thanksgiving were a bit much.
Sears usually holds off on unveiling their Christmas extravaganza until November 1, but the current state of our economy changes everything. Sears spokeswoman Natalie Norris-Howser told the Chicago Tribune that they want to attract holiday shoppers early.
"This is the first year we've done the Christmas Lane event," Norris-Howser told the Tribune. "We're allowing customers to put these items on layaway and pay over time."
Last year Kmart’s sales went up when they reminded consumers of their layaway program, which allows shoppers to pay for items little-by-little, taking the items home once they are paid in full. Starting in July gives customers more time to pay for their merchandise by Christmas.
So prepare yourselves, shoppers. With the retailers’ Christmas Creep starting as earlier as July, the fight between department stores for your holiday money is sure to get nasty this year.
First Published: Jul 10, 2009 10:18 AM CST
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