9.30am Monday, 7 September 2015 (110 days before Christmas Day) I visited my local Coles and Woolworths stores only to be confronted with shelves filled with Christmas products.

Whilst this is not entirely the fault of retailers as many manufacturers generally make Christmas stock to order (which orders are generally required to be placed in March) and then require the retailers to accept stock as early as possible so as to get stock out of their [manufacturers] warehouse and to also reduce transport and logistic pressures leading into the summer/Christmas period, but keep in mind the retailers are compensated for this by extra discounts, etc.

Obviously, rather than have their Christmas stock sitting in warehouses and storerooms the retailers then push it onto their shelves, which then in-turn generates sales, thus justifying their actions.

To me, this is just plainly too early, and we as consumers don’t need the visual reminder that Christmas is well on the way in September, but if a minority of people buy Christmas stock in September retailers will keep bringing forward the date of Christmas stock display – its a vicious circle that many of us just don’t want, or need to be a part of.

There will be the usual complaints from consumers but unfortunately this will not stop the retailers starting Christmas in September as long as there are people buying the Christmas stock.

RGR