Retailers Launch ‘Holiday Creep’ Sales Amid Shortened Shopping Season

In recent years, the phenomenon known as “holiday creep,” where retailers launch holiday-themed sales and promotions significantly ahead of the traditional shopping season, has continued to gain traction. This year, the trend is fueled by a shorter window between Thanksgiving and Christmas, prompting many retailers to begin their seasonal sales as early as October.

According to Adam Davis, managing director of Wells Fargo retail finance, “It’s been an ongoing retail movement over the last few years of bringing sales forward.” Davis explained to CBS MoneyWatch that retailers are seeking to “elongate the season to get as much share of wallet as possible.”

Retail giants such as Wayfair and Amazon have embraced this trend by holding their notable sales events in early October. Wayfair’s “Way Day” took place from October 5 to October 9, while Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day occurred on October 8 and 9. Similarly, Target hosted its “Circle Week” from October 6 to October 12, further highlighting the shift towards earlier promotions.

Experts suggest that one of the primary motivations for this scheduling shift is the competition for consumer spending. Davis noted, “There’s a finite budget, for the most part, of what consumers are willing to spend. And retailers want to capture their dollars earlier in the season.” This strategic move allows them to circumvent the intense competition and “clutter of Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” he added.

Megan Cerullo, a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch, points out that while these early promotions are prevalent, they may not offer the deepest discounts typically associated with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, for consumers willing to take risks, better deals might surface post-Christmas, though the availability of products at that time remains uncertain.

Retail expert Mark A. Cohen, formerly the director of retail studies at Columbia Business School, commented on the evolving retail landscape, stating, “Whereas traditionally, retailers would keep their promotional behavior under wraps and protect their gross margins, I think now they are more insecure than they have ever been and don’t want to have any excess inventory coming out of holiday season.”

Cohen emphasized that this change in behavior reflects a heightened desire to avoid being caught with unsold products as the season progresses. As a result, aggressive promotions are becoming a hallmark of the early holiday shopping period.