Christmas creep is real, Canadian retail experts say [Video]

For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas – saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets – were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

It is a frequent complaint at this time of the year that the festive season seems to be beginning earlier and earlier, and retail experts say there’s substance to grinch’s gripes. Christmas creep, a retail phenomenon that sees Christmas-related merchandise, decorations and music introduced much before the traditional holiday, is inching closer and closer.

Barely have the pumpkin spiced lattes cooled before Bublé begins blasting from supermarket speakers and shop windows become tinseled, and if it seems as though stores are trying to outdo each other with their displays and offerings, it’s because they are, says Amanda Chung, Marketing Manager for Metropolis at Vancouver’ Metrotown.

“It has become a competition …