Retail and department stores typically display their holiday sales and decorations on the sales floors around September and October. The Christmas season tends to seize the month of November, the month of gratitude and giving thanks.

The major shift between Halloween and Christmas is on Nov. 1. It’s the day when retail stores try to get all of their Halloween products sold to clear up space for Christmas. It helps shoppers get early deals on decor that will be sold out during the holidays.

“…Loyalty means they’ll check your store first–in October. If you have nothing to show them, they’ll move on to a competitor who does. When they come back in December, they will have already spent their budget and mental energy on someone else’s selection” (retaildoc.com ).

Since tariffs are going up this year, it has also affected the supplies for retail stores. Most retailers have received their products early due to concerns about incurring additional costs.

“Tariff uncertainty caused smaller retailers who were worried about possible tariff-driven price hikes to order conservatively, or delay ordering, meaning that the selection on store shelves could be limited” (forbes.com).

Due to many strategic reasons, not only do shoppers get ready for the holiday months sooner, but retail stores also set things up early. Shoppers are saving money from the ‘early-bird’ deals. And stores are getting more money from the ‘early-bird’ shoppers, while also making money from the Halloween merchandise.