New Jersey retailers rush fall items but summer isn’t over yet

Here's a question for you. How soon is too soon for fall decorations? Should be be thinking about that when we're not even half way done with summer yet?

I ask this question because of what I recently saw in one of our local retail stores in New Jersey. There was an entire section already set up for the fall season and, at the time, we weren't even half way through July yet.

I mean heck, I don't even see Sprit Halloween pushing their stores yet, and they begin to promote and open in August. Are we really over the summer season already when there's still so much time to go?

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think all this fall decor belongs in the month of July, let alone talk about Halloween.

The retail push

Sometimes retailers will start pushing merchandise on us in kind of a quiet manner. They'll start changing their seasonal sections out well ahead of time in an attempt to remind you that they do carry what you'll eventually be looking for.

I used to work in retail myself so remember this strategy very clearly. Trust me, the retailer knows almost all of this merchandise won't sell now.

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But, when the summer season ends, you'll have it in your mind that they have the fall products you're looking for and will return to make the purchase. It's honestly a smart strategy.

With that said, it's also an annoying strategy. Can't we get through back to school first before we start pushing all the fall stuff?

NJ retailers bet on it

I personally feel early to mid-July is way too soon for fall decorations, but that's just me. However, it's a trend that retailers bet on hoping you'll return when the season's right.

It's the same reason why we'll see Christmas decorations displayed in September even before the official start of Fall begins. Or the same reason we see Valentine's Day merchandise when Christmas isn't even over yet.

One at a time

Again, I get the strategy, but do we really want to be reminded of the fall season now? It's good to know New Jersey retailers have this stuff, but let's keep it in the back room until we get closer to the actual season.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.