Quarter of Retailers Plan Decoration-Free Christmas

20 November 2017

Quarter of Retailers Plan Decoration-Free Christmas

A survey of Retail NZ members shows that just over a quarter of all retailers will not be decorating their stores for Christmas this year, while 45 per cent will be combining summer and winter themes to create a Kiwi Christmas experience.

"Many retailers are currently decorating their stores for the festive period, and 45 per cent of are opting for combination of summer and winter themes, reflecting the traditional northern hemisphere Christmas, fused with the Kiwi summer holiday experience," Greg Harford, Retail NZ's General Manager for Public Affairs said today. "While it might seem that Christmas scenes are appearing everywhere, a surprise result from our survey is that nearly a third of retailers are not planning to decorate their stores at all in the lead-up to Christmas. This is mainly because it's thought that decorations will not boost sales in particular kinds of store.

"In New Zealand, the lead-up to Christmas is also the lead-up to the summer barbecue season, as well as the holiday period. It's a key sales period, and success is essential for retailers, many of which will generate the bulk of their profits at this time of year.

"Retailers throughout the country are working hard to provide great customer offerings in the lead-up to Christmas, and Retail NZ is encouraging consumers to shop local during the festive season. Shopping local not only supports local businesses and local jobs, but also means that consumers are fully protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act"

Survey results

In a survey, Retail NZ asked its members how they would be decorating their stores for the festive season. The results were:

Summer theme 16%

Winter theme 12%

A bit of both 45%

Nothing at all 27%

ends

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