It's Christmas Time Again!

By Andrew Ehinger

The LED string lights were blinking, the garland strung, and the Christmas tree decorations were hung with care - all 25% percent off.

ITS OCTOBER 6TH!!

It seems like a big joke - a place like Wal-Mart putting holiday out decorations a month before Halloween, but there it was - the Holiday Store in all it's glory. We haven't even had Columbus day yet! Granted, the holiday section was in the back of the store.  But the store manager tells me he's even sold out of a few holiday decorations in the short 2 weeks he's had the merchandise on the floor.

So where am I going with this? Well it's a sign of the times. There is a reason Wal-Mart is the world's biggest retailer. They know trends and act fast according to market conditions. Now that the U.S. economy is in a free-fall, Wal-Mart and other big box stores like Target are looking to stretch holiday shopping as long as possible. This means the Christmas shop will open early - and the holiday sales are starting to begin. Wal-Mart is slashing the price of some of their hot holiday toys to $10 bucks, expect further cuts on other door-busters as we get closer to the holidays. Remember the rush for the $29 DVD players a few years ago. People were almost trampled.

Shoppers tell me they're going to be a little frugal this holiday. Cutting back on the extras, maybe even not giving gifts to everyone on their usual lists. But retail experts say that's where the big boxes may make out well. With their razor thin profit margins, big buying power all translating to low prices that could keep registers ringing. It's the local Mom and Pop stores, even some department and specialty stores that will have to get more aggressive with pricing or take a big loss this year. Either way, expect big sales, and shop savvy.