Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action . Ind. Retailers are getting into the holiday mood unusually early this year by putting up Halloween displays while temperatures are still in the high 80-degree range. Decorating stores with ghosts, goblins, witches and pumpkins is a blatant attempt to get the jump on the competition, says James Lowry, a Ball State University retail marketing expert. They are trying anything they can to sell more merchandise in a heavily competitive market. At the same time, retailers know that in a strong economy, people have more discretionary money.
Stores simply move up the season and it puts people in the mood a little quicker.
They buy things they ll need in the coming weeks, he said. Retailers have expanded the Halloween season by nearly a month as a result of billions in sales. Lowry said Halloween has become a more adult-oriented holiday in the last decade. Adults have increased sales of costumes, candy, lawn decorations and other scary merchandise. It may be warm in early September, but with school starting, people are thinking about cooler fall days and all the fun they ll be having.