Topline: Selfridges, the British luxury department store, has launched its Christmas range at its flagship Oxford Street store a record 149 days early, in a bid to cash in on souvenir-hunting visitors and replicate previous commercial success of the early festive launch.
- The store has released 600 product lines, with the full, 3,500-line range coming on September 2 under a “Future Fantasy” theme.
- The July launch includes baubles starting at $7.29 (£6), a $55 (£45) Santa on a motorcycle tree decoration and a $122 (£100) figurine of Santa doing yoga—which is already listed as “low in stock” online.
- The full range will include a £2,000 pre-lit fake Christmas tree. It is hoped the early launch will attract domestic shoppers as well as visitors, who want are looking for bargains, by taking advantage of the weak pound sterling.
- Selfridges’ early Christmas store, which the company launches every year, is said to boost yearly sales. The company, owned by Whittington Investments Limited, says it is the first U.K. retailer to launch a Christmas range this year.
Crucial quote: Eleanor Gregory, Christmas and home decor buyer at Selfridges, said the move was down to “ongoing commercial success” seen in previous such launches, adding: “We have so many customers visiting from all over the world, eager to snap up festive decorations and souvenirs on their London summer holidays which they can’t buy at home.
“Our summer Christmas shop launch simply addresses the growing demand for convenience Christmas shopping outside the traditional Christmas season from many of our customers.”
Tangent: Last October, Selfridges reported its twelfth consecutive year of record sales, rising 11.5% to £1.75 billion in the 12 months to February 3rd—results that defied the ongoing downturn among British high street retailers.
[“source=forbes”]