Festive decorations have been up at the Bentall Centre in Kingston since late October
The Fenwick’s store in the Bentall Centre is among the first to usher in the festive season, having already installed a Christmas display late last month.
From colourful Christmas trees and baubles, to gifts, the Fenwick store has been ready to welcome Christmas shoppers since before Halloween.
For some, the early decorations bring joy, whilst for others, they are a sign of the commercialisation of the holidays.
Enid Palmer, who worked at the Bentall Centre for 13 years, expressed her feelings about the early Christmas setup.
“By Christmas Eve I did not want to hear another carol after listening to them every hour from November,” she said.
However, others are enthusiastic about the approaching holiday season.
Leen Vos, 45, a local shopper, browses the Bentall Centre daily in search of festive air. She said: “I like it, it pushes me to buy Christmas presents as soon as possible and it brings me joy, I love Christmas.”
Others pointed out that Christmas decorations made an appearance before Halloween and Bonfire Night, and suggested that the extended festive season weakens the magic of Christmas.
“I have a big family to buy for, but that does not mean I want to be reminded before we hit December,” said Sarah Goldsmith.
Claudia Pacheo, a Surbiton resident, said that local businesses must benefit from the longer festivities, as their Christmas decorations draw shoppers in. She said: “I can see how it may benefit businesses though, as I’ve fallen for it and ended up buying some Christmassy presents already.”
Kingston’s Bentall Centre is not the only place where Christmas decorations started to make an appearance.
The Guardian has reported that many stores started to set up decorations as early as summer, to attract customers and increase sales.
