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Time rushing by? Blame the retailers

It’s not really later than you think

By Gloria Diaz

Check out Gloria's Blog — Edge of Gloria!

Fort Wayne Reader

2004-10-11


I was in Walgreen’s the other night, and overheard a mother say to her son something to the effect of, “Christmas is coming soon, that’s why the Halloween stuff is out.”

Along with the health insurance industry and the media, retailers are on my list of entities that I despise. It’s no wonder people think time is whizzing by uncontrollably. When you see Christmas decorations up in June (I saw this and I wasn’t under the influence) it’s enough to make you think, “enough already!”

And it’s not just retailers pushing the calendar holidays. On a recent trip to one of my mother’s many doctors, in the corner of the waiting room was a Christmas tree. Granted, it was trimmed with an autumn/Thanksgiving theme, but with Halloween a month away as I write this, and Thanksgiving nearly two months away, I started thinking that a clever person could keep this tree up all year round. Starting in February, you could put garlands of hearts, shamrocks for March, bunnies and eggs for April, flowers for May, little diploma scrolls for June, American flags for July. The only tough month would be August. Somehow, using a back-to-school motif seems premature, even though school has started the third week of August for years now.

It’s the retailer’s fault that you can’t find a decent-looking swimsuit in August. Instead they’re pushing down parkas and boots when the temperature is still in the 80s. And last February, I was in Meijer’s looking for salt for our sidewalks and driveway. Think I could find any? Of course not. However, if I wanted a swimsuit and a gas grill, they were there for the taking. I complained to a sales associate. I started out by saying I know he had nothing to do with the inventory control, but basically vented, saying it was ridiculous, with spring about five weeks away and ice and snow on the ground, to be totally out of salt.

Just once, I’d like retailers to not push the coming seasons at us so quickly. Back to school sales in July are just hideous. If I were in charge, down jackets wouldn’t be allowed in stores until mid-November. You’ll just have to make do with last season’s jacket until then. And bathing suits? Well, I realize people do visit warmer climates during Christmas breaks and during spring vacation, plus there are plenty of folks who swim year round. Perhaps we could just leave the swim suits up all year, and do away with the pool supplies once September 21 hits. Until then, it’s still officially summer.

And this summer really didn’t feel like summer at all. It just wasn’t hot enough for me. Even the weather was confused. Was it giving us a very prolonged spring or a very early fall? Thankfully, it did finally warm up, but it was long after the pools had closed for the summer, and right when the parkas had hit the stores.

And about the time when I feel the need to shop for a winter coat, the swimsuits will hit the stores during the worst ice storm of the season. Instead, I’ll buy salt -- of the Morton’s table variety. Because Lord knows, the stores will be out of the stuff you put on your driveway, because they need to make room for the patio sets and gas grills.

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