With just under three months until Christmas Eve, the holiday season is sneaking into shopping centers, catching many off guard. While children eagerly await opening their first advent calendar window, some stores are already embracing the festive spirit.
Albert supermarkets and hypermarkets have discreetly placed Christmas chocolates and advent calendars throughout their stores, primarily featuring the Kinder brand. This early holiday push has surprised many shoppers, with some expressing disbelief at seeing Christmas items before October.
The pricing of these festive treats has raised eyebrows. A small Kinder advent calendar is priced at 279 crowns, while the most expensive chocolate calendar comes in at a whopping 649 crowns. Other items include a maxi Kinder egg for 129 crowns and a larger Kinder egg for 339 crowns.
While current sales are slow, store staff expect a surge in purchases closer to St. Nicholas Day. Many customers prefer to wait for last-minute deals, hoping to snag these treats at better prices.
Other retail chains are holding off on their Christmas offerings. Penny, for instance, plans to gradually introduce holiday-themed items from mid-October, with the peak demand for advent calendars expected at the turn of November and December.
As the holiday season approaches, it’s clear that the retail landscape is slowly transforming. Whether you’re an early bird shopper or prefer to wait for last-minute deals, the festive spirit is undeniably in the air – even if it’s just September.