It’s only the third week of November, but Christmas carols have been permeating shopping aisles since the day after Halloween.
Local vendors have noticed the holiday season has been advertised earlier and earlier each year and are using it to their advantage by hosting market-type shopping days, in which multiple vendors are conveniently located under one roof. One of these, Mistletoe Market, was held this past weekend in the atrium of the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino.
Mistletoe Market coordinators Anne Ogea and Rene Crousillac said they picked the weekend of Nov. 12 and 13 to hold the market because it seemed like the appropriate time of year. Ogea said once the weather changes and football season nears its end, people realize the holidays are right around the corner.
Ogea said another reason the market is held at this time of year is because people have more money to spend now and tend to have less closer to the holidays. She also said people will be buying presents regardless of the state of the economy.
For Ogea, Christmas music sets the scene. Crousillac said the market motivates people to shop by getting them excited about the upcoming holidays.
Marketing professor Phillip Hartley said he believes the goal of the earlier holiday season is to get consumers to begin purchasing gifts sooner.
He said if people begin shopping earlier in the year, they can devote discretionary income, or spending money, from a longer time period to buy gifts. The expectation is ultimately that consumers will buy more.
Hartley said he thinks most holiday campaigns begin around Thanksgiving, but most retailers and consumer product producers plan for the holidays for most of the year.
“In terms of stock prices and the yearly revenue, this is a critical period for many businesses. If they don’t post good numbers for the holidays, their investors tend to get very nervous,” said Hartley.
Hartley said holiday advertising has a limited direct effect because most consumers have fixed incomes.
Vendors and shoppers present at “Mistletoe Market” were also aware of the holiday rush starting earlier and earlier each year.
Shavon Olivier, educational consultant with Discovery Toys, said the company often sees an increase in sales beginning in late August. Olivier predicts the company’s most popular toys will sell out by next week.
Olivier said many of her clients purchase little by little throughout the year to spread out the cost. Many costumers use the after-holiday sales to begin stocking up for the following year.
Sandra Schexnayder of Party Cup Express said cups for both Thanksgiving and Christmas have seen nearly equal sales. This year, she said the same is true for her location in New Orleans.
Holiday shopper Tracy Diffey said she started buying gifts two weeks ago when the Junior League of Baton Rouge hosted Hollydays, its annual shopping market. She said she thinks markets like Hollydays and Mistletoe Market urge shoppers to begin purchasing gifts early for the winter holidays.
Shopper Jean Story said she began making her holiday purchases in January and continued making purchases throughout the year. She said she has a gift closet where she stores the items she collects until the holidays.
Hartley said he thinks there is a degree to which the holiday campaigns influence consumers, but that overall consumers rely on advertisement to guide their decision making.
“For parents and grandparents who don’t always know what’s cool with the kids, ads give them a basis to start from,” Hartley said.
The University will begin spreading holiday cheer with the Candlelight Celebration on Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. at the Claude L. Shaver Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building, followed by the tree lighting in front of Memorial Tower.
Kentrice Douglas, biology pre-med freshman, said she doesn’t think stores start advertising for the holidays early in the year. But she thinks television does, and it is directed toward kids. She believes this is because advertisers know kids are going to ask their parents about toys they see.
Devin Poirrier, mechanical engineering senior, said he thinks the holiday season is advertised earlier each year because many people like Christmas and want to get in the cheery mood of the season. He thinks advertising campaigns for the holidays have a good bit of influence because they make people think of the upcoming holidays and make them want to go buy gifts.
Hartley said some people may find it obnoxious seeing December holiday decorations on display.
 
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Contact Haylie Navarre at [email protected]