Retailers keep rushing the season!

I remember, a few years ago, trying to buy a new winter jacket in late February. My winter jacket got damaged and needed to be replaced, so I went shopping for a new one.

Do you think I could find a winter jacket for sale anywhere? NOOOO! Every store had tucked all their winter stock away. The only outerwear available was for spring and summer!

To understand how crazy that is, you have to understand one thing. I live in Canada. It was bitterly cold and there was still plenty of snow on the ground, with more to come. February is one of the worst months of winter! But not a single store had winter clothes for sale.

Sadly, this is but one example of retailers rushing the season. Earlier this year, valentines hit the stores right after Christmas. Who is thinking of that when still getting over Christmas and New Year's? But it continues. Before Valentine's Day has arrived, Easter baskets and treats are up for sale. I started seeing back-to-school ads in July, Hallowe'en decorations in the first week of September, and (believe it or not) Christmas items on display in mid-October! Christmas decorations were out before people even started thinking about Hallowe'en.

Is that crazy, or what?

Now, I can understand shopping for Christmas gifts several months early. I do that myself. But who is in the mood to buy Christmas decorations in October? When kids get out of school in late June, do they really want to see back-to-school ads just two or three weeks later? I don't think so!

Try to buy a barbecue in late September, or a snowblower in March. Good luck with that!

People still need new winter boots in February and March. Barbecue season lasts well into October. Late winter snowstorms (at least here in Canada) usually arrive in April and even May. Like a famous baseball player once said, it ain't over 'til it's over, and when it comes to the seasons, that is so true. And most people prefer to get one holiday behind them before they have to start thinking about the next one, especially if it involves buying.

So, here's a note to retailers: if you really feel a huge need to get those next-season items on the shelves, go ahead and stock the new stuff. But please leave some of the other stuff up, too, so when we need new winter gloves in March, we can actually find some to buy.