Christmas Music at Wal-Mart

Yesterday (Sunday), I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things I had missed on my shopping adventure the day before. Maybe I did not notice it on Saturday but I am usually fairly observant when it comes to this type of thing. It was November 4th and the Christmas music was playing over the speakers in the store. It just seemed sooooo out of place even though the store was probably 90% decorated for Christmas already anyway.

Now I do have to put a little disclaimer in right here. Yes, I am known for singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Winter Wonderland throughout the summer. I do it mostly for the silliness of it. When people as me about Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I respond that I never said when he is coming, just that he is coming. And as for Winter Wonderland, it is a great way to take my mind off of the heat and humidity of a Houston, Texas summer. Like I said, I do it for laughs and to see people's reactions to things that are out of place. I have a pastor friend that likes to preach an Easter sermon during the Christmas season and a Christmas sermon during the Easter season. It makes people sit up and think a little more.

Now back to the music at Wal-Mart. I am a Capitalist. I believe in making a profit and I do my best to never deny any man, woman, or corporation from earning a profit, as long as it is earned honestly and morally. When the unions protest Wal-Mart, I make a concerted effort to do a larger percentage of my everyday purchases there. Wal-Mart may have its faults, who doesn't, but I will support a capitalistic venture over socialistic unions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

To my dear departed grandfather, who was a devoted member of the Meat Cutter's Union, I am sorry for the last sentence of that previous paragraph. Sorry Pop Pop. However, that is what unions have become. I will save any further rants on unions for another time.

So now that I have pledged my loyalty to anyone out to make money, I finally get back to Wal-Mart playing Christmas music. The reasoning behind it is simple. Expectations are for a slow holiday shopping season so to encourage shoppers to buy more, stores are starting sales earlier and breaking out the decorations and mood music early. While I am neither an economist nor a marketing expert, I feel that their thinking is off. I think it may give them a bit of a head start on the holiday purchases but it will hurt later in the season. As heard at the store, children are pushing for anything "Christmas-y" now, it is my gut instinct and consumer-based point of view that people will be burned out on the holiday festiveness by the early part of December and people will start avoiding the stores and malls except for necessity.

Another point that I will delve into deeper at another time is that I feel that Wal-Mart, other major retailers, and malls are reacting out of fear. Fear does not lead to good, solid business decisions.

Oh, well. Like I said, I am not a marketing expert. I love Christmas music and, although my Christmas music collection will not come out until the Friday after Thanksgiving, I will enjoy listening when shopping. Even if it is almost 3 weeks too soon.

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful..."

Keep Smiling!!

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(c) Copyright 2007 Eddy Seegers