Can you explain the concept of "Christmas in July"?

People are bored, and they’re trying to move stock before the Fall comes and new stock comes in. Also, many people are spending money on vacation, and not shopping, so it’s an incentive to get people in the store.

I am so with you on this one! I don’t want to hear the music, see the stuff or smell the pine. I’m still in summer mode – cold beer, cooking out, tank top and shorts.

It’s a marketing ploy, like @eponymoushipster mentioned, above.

Oh…that makes sense. How long has this been going on? And why the holiday movies?

@tinyfaery – I haven’t run into many Christmas movies, what channels are you finding them on? A lot of cable channels buy movie rights in packages. They may want say (bad example) Top Gun, but it comes with ELF in the package and are required to show the movie.

Overall, it still stirs up the shopping and anticipation for the Holidays. In one of my marketing classes, the simple suggestion on holidays sparks the shopping interest in some consumers – so broaden that spectrum and motivate them, with the suggestion of the holidays in the summer.

Keep in mind that there are some that are already wishing for the cold and snow, in July. :( Also, consumers are more cautious with their money and credit, now. The suggestion of getting the jump on holiday spending is a very powerful one.

It USED to be, Christmas season began the day after Thanksgiving. For the last few years the Christmas season in a lot of stores was three months long (card stores have been selling Hallmark ornaments in the summer for YEARS now). Christmas in July subtly makes the season SIX months long. Soon Christmas Season will begin December 26th. The sooner you make children get excited about Christmas, the sooner their parents start to spend money.

@cak Not that I’ve been watching them, I just see them as I browse the menu. And it’s hilarious what channel it is. The Hallmark Channel. hahahahahahaha…

@cak , “Fred Claus” was recently on.

@tinyfaery The sappy channel! I go there if I need a good cry. :)

@SirBailey – THAT is the movie I was trying to think of, it was mentioned in my house. I’ve never seen it, though.

We have Christmas in July at our house only because we somehow never get the cards all sent out on time, and sometimes don’t get the tree down (it’s plastic, so no harm done). Besides, we like the colored lights, and somehow wishing good will to all men is something that shouldn’t be restricted to just one month or so of the year.

However, we try very hard to avoid any stores that play Christmas music in July. That’s just wrong.

Never heard of Christmas in July, but could it all be related to Australian Christmas? It’s celebrated in December as normal, but Down Under it’s actually hot then and people go to the beach and so on.

@Jack79 There is no such thing as a white Christmas in L.A. either.