Are New York Stores Rushing Into the Next Holiday?

I hate to complain, especially after the holiday season is just wrapping up... BUT, why is there always a need to rush into thinking about the next holiday when the last one is barely wrapped up? The answer is clear, but it still drives a person crazy!

Holiday Whiplash

You know the feeling. You walk into a store to do some last minute Christmas shopping and you will see some of the store shelves start to fill with the pinks and whites of Valentine's Day. This is not the only example.

Everyone has been down the candy aisle preparing for Halloween and can see the Christmas trees being put up in the background. It's insanity. Don't get me started on the playing of Christmas music after Labor Day.

But, why is there really such a push for stores to get the next holiday on the shelves when the prior one clears? Simple! It's all about the money. The revenue from holidays for retailers is enormous. Of course Christmas is the big one, but Valentine's Day is a big one too. That's the holiday filling store shelves now.

Holiday Spending Habits

According to TodaysHomeOwner.com, Black Friday spending in 2023 went up 7.5% from 2022 to the tune of nearly $10 billion. That isn't even accounting for what was spent on holiday shopping closer to Christmas.

When it comes to Valentine's Day spending, driveresearch.com says that more than half of Americans celebrate the holiday, and 3 in 10 Americans will go into credit card debt celebrating the season of love!

The website states,

Consumers will spend close to $192 dollars to celebrate their Valentine. In fact, this is up from 2022, when consumers spent $175 dollars. Those who are aged 35 to 44 plan on spending around $335 dollars, the highest total out of any age bracket.

It's understandable that companies need to make money, but the consumers are the ones that ultimately end up suffering. Both in the wallet and with the torture of being forced to thing about a holiday months in advance.

Take a step back and take time to breath before celebrating or spending the next holiday.