Consumerist.com Unveils Its "Christmas Creep"

Urges Readers to Fight Back Against Retailers Who Put Out Christmas Decorations Early

YONKERS, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- These days, it's not uncommon for Christmas decorations and decor to find their way to retailers' floors as early as July. At Consumerist.com, they call this insidious phenomenon "Christmas Creep," and this year, they've decided to bring it to life. Now frustrated consumers can express their distaste for stores that make the holiday season an all-year affair with a DIY craft project featuring a sinister ornament who wants to invade the Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons.  Beware! The "Christmas Creep" is coming for your favorite holidays!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111025/DC93110)

Consumers can spread the Christmas Creep cheer by printing out the image and photographing him next to shelves that have been prematurely stocked with Christmas trimmings.

"It seems that every year retailers put out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier, sometimes in the middle of summer," said Meghann Marco, executive editor of Consumerist.com.  "We've created the 'Christmas Creep' as a device for consumers to stand up to retailers and take back summer, fall and all the holidays within these seasons."

Readers can an submit photos of their "Christmas Creep" by emailing tips@consumerist.com or at http://consumerist.com/tips. Readers can also submit photos and tips to the editors through the Consumerist Tipster app for iPhone available free on iTunes.

First Instances of Christmas Creep in 20111

In July, Pier 1 kicked off the 2011 Christmas Creep season with an email promotion inviting its customers to "Get an early start on Christmas" and preview holiday fun even before it hit its stores. In August, Sam's Club debuted their Christmas-themed gift cards, and the Christmas tree display was in full swing at Costco.

This year, even Nordstrom had a case of the Christmas Creep.  The upscale retailer with a long-standing policy of not putting out Christmas items until the day after Thanksgiving was spotted making holiday innuendos in its window displays in downtown Seattle in telling customers to "Mingle before the jingle."

Consumerist.com urges consumers to spread the cheer season and reclaim Halloween and Thanksgiving with the Christmas Creep!

About Consumerist.com
The Consumerist's parent company, Consumer Media LLC, is a subsidiary of Consumer Reports the nation's leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organization. Since its founding in 1936, Consumer Reports has fought for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To maintain independence and impartiality, CR accepts neither outside advertising nor free samples. It employs a staff of "mystery shoppers" who buy products in retail stores around the country, just as any other buyer would, and then ship them to the Consumer Reports labs, where technical experts test some 3,000 products yearly. 

SOURCE Consumerist.com