A piece on The Street website maintains that the number of retailers running "Christmas in July" promotions is down from last year and that's a positive since the events do little to drive incremental volume.
Among those planning to run promotions hoping to get an early jump on the competition for the winter holiday season are Target and Toys "R" Us.
Target is bringing back its "Back in Black Friday" event offering discounts up to 50 percent on toys, consumer electronics and entertainment products.
Toys "R" Us is running its "Christmas in July" event with discounted merchandise. The Street reports the toy chain has discontinued the Christmas Savers Club it introduced during the event last year.
Nikoleta Panteva, retail analyst at IBISWorld, told The Street, "The Christmas in July promotions put in place last year did not result in a broad-based sales increase, as anticipated. Overall, the promotion's strategy seemed to be more of sustaining sales rather than boosting them."
A poll of RetailWire readers last November found most thought there was a small (38 percent) to no (29 percent) advantage to starting Christmas-themed promotions well in advance of the holiday season. Twenty-seven percent said there was a medium to big advantage to be gained by starting early.