Christmas Sales Have Begun
Earlier than ever before, the Christmas sales have already started with retailers trying to tempt help you, by spreading the cost of Christmas over the 5 weeks leading up to Christmas day. Some of the best pre-christmas sales events seen online have been:
- 25% off Debenhams
- 25% off Fashion Union
- 20% off Oasis
- 20% off Buton Menswear
- 20% off BHS
Last year Marks and Spencer started the online pre-Christmas sales with a number of 20% off days, taking all other retailers by surprise, however that was in December!
Many more retailers are expected to follow and promote cheaper prices before VAT reverts to 17.5% on 1 January, having been cut to 15% in November 2008.
In a recent Which? survey christmas presents including books, perfumes, CDs and toys, were on average 17 per cent cheaper from internet retailers than from high street shops. The researchers ccompared 28 of the most popular gifts online and compared the standard high street prices of both national chains and independent retailers.
Two Dates For Your Diary
The busiest day for online Christmas shopping is expected to be Monday 7 December.
The busiest day for highstreet Christmas shopping is expected to be Saturday 19 December.
Christmas Shopping Has Started
Seasonal goods will go on sale at Debenhams by the end of the month in a trend which began last month in the US, when Toys R Us and leading department store, Sears, starting selling Christmas products.
The theory is hard-pressed shoppers may be willing to spend more spread over a longer period that they might otherwise do.
And at Selfridges’ Christmas shop, which opened on 8 August this year, sales rose by 43 per cent in its first week compared with last year.
Geraldine James, the Christmas shop’s head buyer, said: “Customers don’t have to wait until December to bring them out. Message decorations have been popular, in particular our ‘Peace and Love’ ornament for £8.95, which looks just as great on a bookshelf in August as it does on the Christmas tree in December.
“Local customers haven’t been able to resist our pantomime-themed ‘Ho Bloody Ho’ baubles.”
A spokesman for Debenhams added: “Not everyone can afford to pay for everything for Christmas in December and [some] prefer to spread out their purchases.”
However Neil Saunders, of retail specialists Verdict, said: “The trick is not to start too early. There’s a fine balancing act. If you hold it back you can build up some latent demand and benefit from people then splashing out.”
And Nick Bubb, analyst at the broker Pali International, said: “You’ve got to get Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night out of the way first before you can focus on Christmas. In the middle of August, it’s too premature.”
But Elaine Thompson, of the Christmas Shop in London, has sold festive goods throughout the year for more than 20 years.
“We get English people down in London for the weekend as well as tourists, although we do have more sales towards the back end of the year,” she said. “People like to come in and say, ‘You’re early’ or, ‘You’re late this year’. They think they’re really funny.”
Original aritlce by the Telegraph