Christmas decorations are already on the shelves of some stores in Gainesville. Lester Hill, Home Depot's Store Manager, says they bring the decorations out around the same time every year; the end of September. Hill says having the decor out early gives customers the opportunity to plan for their spending. While some customers are surprised to see Christmas decorations out before Halloween, others say they enjoy the spirit its bring for their kids.
Bart Weitz, a professor of marketing at UF, says the early decorations are more of an operational issue because of the time and staff it takes to prepare for the holidays. By putting out decorations little by little, retailers can avoid some of the stress later on.