Advertisers, marketers and retailers, worried that fuel prices will crimp spending on holiday shopping later this fall, are moving up their Christmas pitches, reports the New York Times (via MediaBuyerPlanner). "It's not just getting an earlier start on the Christmas season, it's getting to shoppers before they see their first heating bills, while the weather is still good," said Candace Corlett, a principal at WSL Strategic Retail, a consulting company in New York.
A full 28 percent of online retailers said they would begin holiday marketing campaigns earlier this year than in 2004, according to Shop.org, the online arm of the National Retail Federation. Nearly half of the 119 companies surveyed said they would start by the end of this week, Shop.org reported.
The home page of the Bath and Body Works website is already crammed with silver snow globes and red tree ornaments, and proclaims, "Get ready for the perfect Christmas." Since Oct. 10, Expedia has been enticing consumers to book holiday trips early with ads and travel discounts.
