It’s barely November but, for many in Luxembourg, Christmas has already been here for weeks. Decorations appeared in shops such as Action, Trafic and Auchan as early as September, and Luxlait’s eggnog hit the shelves on 13 October, the same day TF1 began its run of Christmas movies.
The growing overlap between autumn and the festive season even has a name in marketing circles: “Christmas creep”.
Eggnog has become one of the earliest signs of the season in Luxembourg.
“Eggnog has become a true culinary ritual in Luxembourg,” said Gilles Gérard, CEO of Luxlait. “Every year we receive calls from consumers asking when it will be back. Some say they count down the days until it’s on shelves.”
He declined to share sales figures but said the drink now inspires “a deep and almost addictive attachment” among fans even before Mariah Carey officially kicks off the season with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on 1 November.
Changing consumer habits
Retailers say the shift isn’t arbitrary. Christmas stock only appears early because customers buy it.
“Stores aren’t going to dedicate large areas to Christmas products if there’s no demand,” said Janssen Liu, advisor at the Luxembourg Confederation, which represents 24 trade and service federations. “Every square metre has to be profitable.”
He said consumers have become more proactive, a habit reinforced by Covid lockdowns, online shopping and inflation after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A study published by the Luxembourg Confederation and EY earlier this year noted wider shifts in consumption, though not specifically in holiday spending.
Shops won’t just put up big shelves for Christmas products if there’s no demand, so if it’s there, it’s because people are buying.
Janssen Liu
Luxembourg Confederation
Retailers also receive deliveries earlier, which creates pressure to make room before Black Friday. Putting Christmas items on display sooner can free up storage space. But critics see the trend as another sign of hyper-consumerism.
Still, there’s some history behind the idea. During World War I, the US National Defense Council encouraged citizens to shop early to ease transport and labour shortages – a strategy modern retailers would likely appreciate, given today’s overloaded delivery networks.
Psychologists say there may be an upside to decorating early. A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that people who put up Christmas decorations ahead of schedule tend to be happier. The authors argue that reconnecting with childhood rituals helps ease stress as the year winds down.
So while critics may roll their eyes at baubles in September, for many Luxembourgers, starting the celebrations early might simply be a way to hold on to a bit of joy before winter even begins.
(This article was originally published by Virgule. Machine translated, with editing and adaptation by Kabir Agarwal.)
