With a mere 98 days until Christmas the glint of baubles and rustle of tinsel can be seen and heard throughout the town as shops grapple to get their festive merchandise on the shelves.
While most people in Derry are still peeling away the remains of their holiday tans shops in the city centre are already stocking up on tons of festive fayre.
But once again the age-old, annual question returns with a bite - Is it just me or is Ch
ristmas coming earlier and earlier each year?
The Christmas Shop has opened in the Richmond Centre and decorations of the festive kind can be found hanging in stores across the town. It’s not even Hallowe’en yet. So why are shops forcing us to drink in the Christmas spirit months before the event?
The cheery staff at the Christmas Shop say they have only opened the shop because it’s what the people want.
One staff member said: “We have to get in early to make sure we have a good spot. They have all the stuff lying in a warehouse so they want to get it ready as early as possible.
“We open a Christmas club for people and it’s very popular. We are selling lots because it is so difficult these days with the credit crunch and at this time of the year everyone is trying to get their shopping done early.”
The manager of the shop, who did not want to be named, said she didn’t think opening the shop in September was a problem for people in Derry.
“The shop has been opened by demand,” she said. “People want it here to get their shopping done early.
“We do a lot of displays for other shops in the town too for their windows and things like that. But I don’t think us being here takes anything away from Christmas. Other countries such as America and Canada have Christmas shops open all year round and some people would like it to be the same here as well.”
One shopper, who didn’t want to be named, said he thought it was disgraceful for a Christmas shop to be open so early in the year.
He said: “I think it’s awful. It just ruins the meaning of Christmas, it’s just all about money these days and the earlier the better.
“They should be opening about two or three weeks before Christmas.
“My wee grandson says Christmas is about Jesus. He seems to be the only person who thinks so these days.”
The full article contains 433 words and appears in Journal Friday DER Edition newspaper.
