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UK August Bank Holiday is August 29th

Change the clocks in the US, November 6th (Sunday October 30th, UK) or about 12 weeks

Christmas merchandise is now on the shelves in Costco now.

So you know the trivia.

Christmas merchandise is now on the shelves in Costco now.

I find this to be completely ridiculous.  There are many reasons I dislike Christmas, and already having merchandise in the stores in August is a big one.

They had it out last week here.  This is one thing that is even worse than in the US.  I think it has to do with the lack fewer celebrations.

They had it out last week here.  This is one thing that is even worse than in the US.  I think it has to do with the lack fewer celebrations.

Yeah, they don't have Halloween or Thanksgiving so they just roll straight on to Christmas!

Exactly.  Right now only certain stores have Christmas stuff out, but last year it all the grocery stores had at least half an aisle by the first week of September.

Yeah, they don't have Halloween or Thanksgiving so they just roll straight on to Christmas!

Very good point, I hadn't thought of that. I guess in the States we have a Christmas buffer.

UK August Bank Holiday is August 29th

Scotland's August bank holiday already happened last week

Scotland's August bank holiday already happened last week

On my birthday whilst I was there.....how nice of everyone to take the day off for my birthday! Strange though as nothing seemed different.....I guess cause we were in Edinburgh all the tourist stuff was open anyway, and we asked a bus driver on the Sunday and he said it was just a normal service.

I find this to be completely ridiculous.  There are many reasons I dislike Christmas, and already having merchandise in the stores in August is a big one.

Hi, Whilst I can completely understand the probable background reasons for you and many others saying/feeling this, from a business perspective I can understand it and I would do it myself without a second thought.

With consumer confidence low, the cogs of industry have been slowed down, by offering discounts to consumers, getting them spending even if it's not vast amounts is HIGHLY beneficial to the bigger economy as a whole. The UK, will be the very last G8/G20 to finally pull itself out of this economic brown stuff it got itself into, getting consumers spending again is critical into there being a successful chance of doing it and hopefully, quicker.

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Dennis,

In the US the price of gas has not fallen relative to the price of crued oil. My theory is the cost of oil spills clean up is being paid for by the consumer at the pump.
When the consumer finishes paying for the clean up then the price of fuel will hopefully go down and when it does people will start traveling again and spend money.

Cheers

I find this to be completely ridiculous.  There are many reasons I dislike Christmas, and already having merchandise in the stores in August is a big one.

I'm going to love England for this....

I'm going to love England for this....

Do you like stuff in the stores early?  I am confused.  Christmas stuff is on the shelves way earlier here than in the US.

As in, my Tesco which would be like your local Giant/Stop and Shop has cleared the shelves today and has started putting out Christmas stock. 

I can top everything!
Saw on TV were they are starting to string up Christmas lights in the trees. They are starting now in August because it takes a long time??

Some cities here, and I am sure in the US, never take them down.

I saw today a Christmas package of nuts.  To be fair, it was only one type.  I have the feeling that all the Christmas food that will last (nuts, baked cheese sticks, some biscuits) will be out in the next week or two and this type of nut just needed to be restocked and that is what they had available.

I know some of the lights go up early here for different holidays (Diwali, for example, is at the end of October this year, I think.). They also use some of them (not the ones in really Christmasy-shapes, but some of the standard lights in trees) for various other celebrations over the Autumn.