Spring Break
Editorial: Nordstrom holiday timing is right on
M.J. Editorial Board
Issue date: 11/20/07 Section: Perspectives
- Page 1 of 1
"Tis the season to be jolly." Though the words of the popular Christmas carol are well known, many Americans have long forgotten the time span for the actual Christmas season.
Surrounded by much controversy, Christmastime has no definite start or finish. Beginning as early as Columbus Day when temperatures are still in the high 60s and lasting until late January when people finally figure out that throwing the extremely dead (not to mention fire-hazardous) Christmas tree to the curb would be a good idea, Christmas seems to be a season just like spring or fall. Fortunately, for consumers sick of being bombarded with irritating Christmas decorations, there is a safe haven.
We at The Michigan Journal wish to applaud the department store, Nordstrom. Separating itself from its competitors, Nordstrom stores are not Christmas clad until the day after Thanksgiving.
"We believe in celebrating each holiday in its entirety before moving on to the next one," said Nordstrom spokesman John Baily in an interview with The New York Times.
At the entrance of each Nordstrom store, customers can spot a sign announcing Nordstrom's commitment to wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate.
Considered a breath of fresh air for consumers tired of being overrun by the early onset of Christmas decorations, people have taken notice of the bold statement.
Pete Nordstrom, the president of Nordstrom department stores, admits, "I don't know of anything that we do that gets more favorable customer feedback."
With such considerable support, one might wonder why other department stores do not follow in Nordstrom's footsteps.
Representatives from Bloomingdales noted that their elaborate Christmas displays take time to set up, causing the department stores to start the decorating process long before Thanksgiving.
"It's not like decorating your tree at home or your little vestibule. The New York store is close to a million square feet," said Joe Catugno, Bloomingdale's vice president for visual merchandising.
Though the decorating process is time consuming, we at The Michigan Journal think it is no excuse. If Nordstrom can manage to decorate after closing on Wednesday to be ready for Black Friday, other department stores should be able to do the same. We appreciate the effort made by the department store and look forward to their appropriately timed 106th unveiling of Christmas decorations this Friday.
Surrounded by much controversy, Christmastime has no definite start or finish. Beginning as early as Columbus Day when temperatures are still in the high 60s and lasting until late January when people finally figure out that throwing the extremely dead (not to mention fire-hazardous) Christmas tree to the curb would be a good idea, Christmas seems to be a season just like spring or fall. Fortunately, for consumers sick of being bombarded with irritating Christmas decorations, there is a safe haven.
We at The Michigan Journal wish to applaud the department store, Nordstrom. Separating itself from its competitors, Nordstrom stores are not Christmas clad until the day after Thanksgiving.
"We believe in celebrating each holiday in its entirety before moving on to the next one," said Nordstrom spokesman John Baily in an interview with The New York Times.
At the entrance of each Nordstrom store, customers can spot a sign announcing Nordstrom's commitment to wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate.
Considered a breath of fresh air for consumers tired of being overrun by the early onset of Christmas decorations, people have taken notice of the bold statement.
Pete Nordstrom, the president of Nordstrom department stores, admits, "I don't know of anything that we do that gets more favorable customer feedback."
With such considerable support, one might wonder why other department stores do not follow in Nordstrom's footsteps.
Representatives from Bloomingdales noted that their elaborate Christmas displays take time to set up, causing the department stores to start the decorating process long before Thanksgiving.
"It's not like decorating your tree at home or your little vestibule. The New York store is close to a million square feet," said Joe Catugno, Bloomingdale's vice president for visual merchandising.
Though the decorating process is time consuming, we at The Michigan Journal think it is no excuse. If Nordstrom can manage to decorate after closing on Wednesday to be ready for Black Friday, other department stores should be able to do the same. We appreciate the effort made by the department store and look forward to their appropriately timed 106th unveiling of Christmas decorations this Friday.
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