Over the last few days I have been visiting various stores looking at their prices for potential registry additions. After visiting the second of 4stores that actually have registries on the Island, I came to verbilise what I have been seeing for years. The calendar year is majorly contracted when one looks at life according to the holidays and occassions that stores stock their shelves for.
I always notice this in the fall because they seem to change the displays and shelves so quickly. One store I visited today has just finished their 'Back to School' display and shelves. Schools are back in on Sept 7th so the displays will probably remain until the 17th or so. Then it'll be on to Hallowe'en. There's a decent shelf life for Hallowe'en thanks to the costume parties that many organisations hold for charitable and social purposes. On Nov 1st, the Hallowe'en stuff gets pushed to the side (50-75% off candy!) and last year they put out the artificial trees - undecorated but a sure sign that Christmas is around the corner. We don't have American Thanksgiving but sometimes we might get something fall related. Generally, they slowly put out the Christmas stuff - candy first, followed by decorations and gift sets - around the middle to end of November.
I went into a grocery store today and they were stocking shelves with Hallowe'en candy. Back to School isn't a big deal for them and I guess people start picking up packages of minature chocolate bars early. Due to this shelf stocking, I will now go to this grocery store's dollar store to see what Hallowe'en goodie bags that they've brought in. Last year I got minature plastic jack o' lanterns that I put small chocolates into for distribution in the office. These items sell out before September settles in so I look for the signs... sad, I know.
While from a retail perspective 2010 is on the way out, there are still some out of season bargains to be had. I love to see what Oriental Trading has to offer online - particularly for scrapbooking. I used to hold pretty regular scrapbooking parties that now only seem to take place during the fall for holiday cardmaking. I used to purchase supplies from them regularly but now I just shop their sales. I have just managed to get a few great deals on Christmas supplies. I think they'll probably be putting out their 2010 holiday supplies in the coming weeks but I have enough stuff to make a quite a few cards if I wish (not sure what I will do yet... need to see what the fall has for my schedule...). There are also some deals through places like QVC as they get ready for the seasonal transition.
I hope to enjoy the transition of retail occassions this year. It may be the last time for a long while that I even consider something as trivial as this (I only say trivial since I do not work in retail). To think of the years and years that this has transpired, like the changing of the seasons in nature. A wonder to behold and yet an indication of the passage of time.
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