Business & Tech
Christmas Shopping: Retailers' Layaway Plans Trumpet The Holidays Are Here
Is it too early to think about Christmas? Fall is still days away, but the nation's retailers are rolling out decorations and deals.
Cool your jets, Christmas.
Across most of the country folks are still wearing flip-flops. We’re lapping up summer warmth in September. New York’s Fall Fashion Week has just wrapped. Fans got sunburn at Sunday’s NFL games. The grass needs mowing.
Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
And glorious fall — the season of less humidity, cozy sweaters, pumpkin lattes and leaf peeping — doesn’t even start until Sept. 23.
So what in the name of “rushing the season” is going on with retailers?
Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
From Kmart to Pottery Barn, from Toys R Us to Walmart, what’s known as the “Christmas creep” has poked its tinsel-covered nose into a slot on the calendar reserved for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
While retailers have yet to unveil Black Friday 2015 hours, several national chains have rolled out their layaway programs for the upcoming Christmas shopping season. Walmart’s layaway plans kicked off Aug. 28, touting a down payment of no more than $10 on holiday purchases.
For the second straight year, Kmart was the first national retailer to start running TV commercials across the country touting its layaway program. Spots — aptly titled “Ridiculous” — began running the first week of September poking fun at the idea of holiday shopping, all while “Jingle Bells” played in the background.
Toys R Us, the Christmas shopping venue that can lead to fistfights and divorces, is blasting the “Fabulous 15” hot toys of 2015 as the top item on its website. Hint: Stock up on Star Wars figures, Ultra T-Rex and Nerf Blaster.
Over the weekend, Pottery Barn sent an email to customers promoting a holiday sneak peek on gotta-have-it Christmas sofa cushions, scented candles, tree trimmings and more. Although, PB does send online shoppers through all the fall regalia it’s offering for Halloween and Thanksgiving before browsers land on the Christmas goodies.
Eggnog anyone?
»Screenshot from Kmart TV commercial, photo of Christmas items on display at A.C. Moore store in Bel Air, MD, by Elizabeth Janney; YouTube video from Kmart
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
