Bunnings hits back at ‘money grab’ claims after Christmas rollout stuns shoppers
Christmas decorations are popping up in stores around the country and not everyone is feeling jolly about it.
Bunnings are the latest retailer instigating mixed reaction with their early roll out of Christmas decorations, and they're clearly starting with a bang.
A line of large outdoor nutcracker soldiers, standing one and a half metres tall and priced at $299 each, were spotted in a Townsville store and shelves are becoming full of different festive themed lights and ornaments for shoppers to walk along and immerse themselves in.
Unsurprisingly, the decorations being introduced to stores in early September has many people arguing it's too early for them to be introduced, with some joking online that "Halloween has been cancelled."
"I think it’s a bit early but that’s just a sign of the times," a shopper told Yahoo News Australia. "I see this as a money grab."
"Ten days prior to Christmas it’s the Boxing Day sales and the day after Boxing Day it’s 'Back to School' sales followed in February by hot cross buns and chocolate … It is what it is."
Others have responded passionately against the retailers' early mark on Christmas, sharing it was "terrifying" and accused big retailers of introducing such products earlier and earlier every year, however others were delighted. "I'm definitely going for a look," one local wrote online.
Christmas decorations have already launched at Coles and Big W quickly following suit several weeks later.
Bunnings defends early Christmas offerings
The retailer believes they are simply responding to customer demands by launching the products at this time in the year. Homes with elaborate Christmas lights displays are known to start preparing months in advance.
"Decorating the home for Christmas is becoming more popular every year, and many customers are keen to get organised for Christmas early," a Bunnings spokesperson told Yahoo. "Our festive range begins arriving in stores from September and more products will drop in store over the coming weeks."
Practical reason why retailers launch festive products early
Despite many believing the early rollouts are another sign of "consumerism", there are operational reasons why the stores start putting the products on the shop floor.
"Warehouses are full of Christmas inspired products and we want them out of warehouses and into air-conditioned supermarkets and department stores," Marketing and Consumer expert Professor Gary Mortimer told previously told Yahoo.
"When demand for these products starts, it comes on quickly and retailers want to be ready,"
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