I saw something most disquieting at Costco last week-end

[+ PapaTony]

Back in the day, Nordstrom always decorated for Christmas when they were closed for Thanksgiving - I was told that they staff came in that afternoon and had sort of a party while they decorated.

 

The tag line went something like "At Nordstrom we prefer our holidays the old fashioned way, one at a time."

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I was on the display staff of Lord & Taylor on New York’s Fifth Avenue in the 70s. Back then we did not present Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving, working all night Thanksgiving eve and all day Thursday to transform the store and the 4 large display windows into a winter wonderland to premiere to the public Friday morning, and it was an annual event that drew many hundreds of spectators who would line up around the block to see the animated windows and then tour the store. It was back-breaking work but so worth it.

 

Alas, all good things come to an end:

 

https://www.mcall.com/business/mc-nws-nyc-lord-taylor-closing-20181124-story.html

 

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[MikeBiDude]

They probably don't compare with donuts - but, as I remember, they were sort of a glazed sweet roll with raisins and a cross on top made from white icing. What's not to like?

Tick Tock Restaurant in Hollywood (long gone?) had a version of hot cross buns

[Guy Fawkes]

That 95 degrees for those northern folks!

 

Such blatant northern hemisphere exclusivism! <snigger> This is so funny, what could possibly be more normal than a 35 degrees Celsius Christmas Day. Now if it snows, that is odd (and it leads the evening news bulletins).

[spider]

They probably don't compare with donuts - but, as I remember, they were sort of a glazed sweet roll with raisins and a cross on top made from white icing. What's not to like?

 

Hot Cross buns are still around. Your best best is to look for small ethnic bakeries, especially Eastern European. They’ll have them. Yeasty, sweet, iced, raisins. What’s not to like?

[spider]

.

I was on the display staff of Lord & Taylor on New York’s Fifth Avenue in the 70s. Back then we did not present Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving, working all night Thanksgiving eve and all day Thursday to transform the store and the 4 large display windows into a winter wonderland to premiere to the public Friday morning, and it was an annual event that drew many hundreds of spectators who would line up around the block to see the animated windows and then tour the store. It was back-breaking work but so worth it.

 

Alas, all good things come to an end:

 

https://www.mcall.com/business/mc-nws-nyc-lord-taylor-closing-20181124-story.html

 

.

 

You worked this! I’m sure it was hard work but I’ve always heard a good bit of fun and bonding.

[+ PapaTony]

You worked this! I’m sure it was hard work but I’ve always heard a good bit of fun and bonding.

 

Oh yes it was fun. Interiors were done by regular display staff who worked together all year so not much new bonding - (there were a few extra hands brought in)

 

The window displays were preconstructed offsite, delivered and installed by an outside vendor, Spaeth Displays

[+ Just966]

Hot Cross buns are still around. Your best best is to look for small ethnic bakeries, especially Eastern European. They’ll have them. Yeasty, sweet, iced, raisins. What’s not to like?

We still have them in Canada around easter in most stores and are great!!

[+ g56whiz]

Hot Cross buns are still around. Your best best is to look for small ethnic bakeries, especially Eastern European. They’ll have them. Yeasty, sweet, iced, raisins. What’s not to like?

Raisins currants and mixed candied peel I believe.

[Rudynate]

Hot Cross buns are still around. Your best best is to look for small ethnic bakeries, especially Eastern European. They’ll have them. Yeasty, sweet, iced, raisins. what’s not to like?

 

This is reaching back a lot of years, but I seem to remember we had them on Saturday, before Easter.

[+ Just966]

Raisins currants and mixed candied peel I believe.

Yes with the white cross and sweet glaze on top!

 

http://www.thebreadkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Hot-Cross-Buns.jpg

[spider]

This is reaching back a lot of years, but I seem to remember we had them on Saturday, before Easter.

 

Good Friday, I think. The cross symbolizes, well, the cross, and I haven’t researched but the richness may have to do with using up the very last of the goodness before Holy Saturday.

[Rudynate]

Good Friday, I think. The cross symbolizes, well, the cross, and I haven’t researched but the richness may have to do with using up the very last of the goodness before Holy Saturday.

 

We were lethargic protestants. We didn't worry about most of that stuff.

[+ 7829V]

I have family members involved in a business that manufactures and ships holiday stuff to Costco. Sam’s Club too.

 

Costco wants the stuff in transit to them before Labor Day. The containers of raw materials for assembly come into port from China in April to begin production before summer in time for shipping deadlines.

In the industry I work in we already ordered the supplies for Christmas season 2020.

[Mocha]

I received an email from my favorite bath and body works the other day, about Christmas gifts. We’re still 3 months away from December. My garden and yard is still blooming flowers and the grass is green. Can’t I just savor the moment lol.

 

Let those people in Montana and Michigan celebrate Christmas early! Lol

 

[Guest]

I've been in warm locations at Christmas and sorry but the sleighs and sleighbells, the red fur Santa outfits, the reindeer, the snowmen, etc just don't fit in and the twinkling palm trees don't seem Christmasy. Sorry y'alls seasons are backwards.

[mike carey]

Raisins currants and mixed candied peel I believe.

We were lethargic protestants. We didn't worry about most of that stuff.

Yep, any combination of those, and sultanas (a smaller type of dried grape), they will sell 'peel free' and 'no fruit' (i.e. just sweet bread with cinnamon or mixed spice). Some people don't like certain types of fruit, or just like the sweet bread rolls (why, I'll never understand!). The shops claim that they only sell them as early as Boxing Day because 'people like them so much'. Of course they do, and they buy them because they are there. If they weren't, I'm pretty confident there would be no petitions or protests. Here it's not a sectarian thing, protestants and catholics alike eat them. I wouldn't be surprised to see a woman in a hijab with them in her shopping trolley. In recent years I've seen versions with brioche style bread. And buns with chocolate chips instead of fruit. Never miss an opportunity to milk extra sales out of an idea!

[Rudynate]

Yep, any combination of those, and sultanas (a smaller type of dried grape), they will sell 'peel free' and 'no fruit' (i.e. just sweet bread with cinnamon or mixed spice). Some people don't like certain types of fruit, or just like the sweet bread rolls (why, I'll never understand!). The shops claim that they only sell them as early as Boxing Day because 'people like them so much'. Of course they do, and they buy them because they are there. If they weren't, I'm pretty confident there would be no petitions or protests. Here it's not a sectarian thing, protestants and catholics alike eat them. I wouldn't be surprised to see a woman in a hijab with them in her shopping trolley. In recent years I've seen versions with brioche style bread. And buns with chocolate chips instead of fruit. Never miss an opportunity to milk extra sales out of an idea!

 

 

Sultanas are called dried currants in the US.

[Rudynate]

Yep, any combination of those, and sultanas (a smaller type of dried grape), they will sell 'peel free' and 'no fruit' (i.e. just sweet bread with cinnamon or mixed spice). Some people don't like certain types of fruit, or just like the sweet bread rolls (why, I'll never understand!). The shops claim that they only sell them as early as Boxing Day because 'people like them so much'. Of course they do, and they buy them because they are there. If they weren't, I'm pretty confident there would be no petitions or protests. Here it's not a sectarian thing, protestants and catholics alike eat them. I wouldn't be surprised to see a woman in a hijab with them in her shopping trolley. In recent years I've seen versions with brioche style bread. And buns with chocolate chips instead of fruit. Never miss an opportunity to milk extra sales out of an idea!

 

 

Here in the US, at least they get Valentines Day out of the way before you start seeing Easter merchandise.

[mike carey]

Here in the US, at least they get Valentines Day out of the way before you start seeing Easter merchandise.

Valentines Day (or Haloween for that matter) isn't on the same level as Christmas and Easter here for this sort of marketing, and we don't have Thanksgiving.

[Rudynate]

Valentines Day (or Haloween for that matter) isn't on the same level as Christmas and Easter here for this sort of marketing, and we don't have Thanksgiving.

 

It's still pretty intrusive seeing Valentine's merchandise in stores in early January.

[+ PapaTony]

It's still pretty intrusive seeing Valentine's merchandise in stores in early January.

From a retailers perspective that makes sense because there’s a lot of store traffic in January, people redeeming gift cards, or exchanging gifts, etc etc.

It’s a great time to catch those visitors with impulse purchases.

[marylander1940]

It's still pretty intrusive seeing Valentine's merchandise in stores in early January.

 

From a retailers perspective that makes sense because there’s a lot of store traffic in January, people redeeming gift cards, or exchanging gifts, etc etc.

It’s a great time to catch those visitors with impulse purchases.

 

Exactly... Valentine's day is just a month away.