Is it gift giving time yet?
There used to be an understood rule that you do not begin to promote Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. Retail stores would start the ads on black Friday. They windows would be displayed in full holiday regalia on the Friday morning after turkey day. That started to slide in the last decade. Now it is moving almost back to Halloween. Personally I find it overwhelming. I liked the old way where it was full on holiday insanity between Thanksgiving and Xmas. Everyone knew it was the season. Now the season seems to have bled past that 6/7 week push.
It makes total sense as the fourth quarter for retailers is where the rubber hits the road. I like to see businesses that certainly peek in the fourth quarter but are building brands where people want to purchase their products year round.
So in shameless mode for the companies that I am invested in who are the perfect holiday shop with great gifts I am going to promote. Why not get into the game?
Mouth. The best Indie Food products under one roof. Liquor too. Great for yourself, gifts for friends and corporate gifts
Food52 For the chef in your life. Incredibly well curated products for your kitchen or your friends.
Parachute Home Everything for your bedroom. The cashmere throws are beautiful and at a great price.
The Highline The most amazing park in NYC has redone their website and their shop is beautiful. Lots of unique gifts for the holidays.
20X200 Give good art.
Ricks Picks Always a bonus for the pickle lover in your life.
Start shopping early. Makes your life a lot easier.
Comments (Archived):
I even heard talks about moving Black Friday up by a day to Black Thursday. Well, in their defense, Thangsgiving is a bit late in the month this year, so every day counts.
Not to take anything away from the for-profit alternatives above but the best response I have seen so far from a gift was sending out Donors Choose certificates to everyone…Happy Holidays!
fair enough. or a doorbot <http: http://www.amazon.com=“” doorbot-wi-fi-enabled-smart-doorbell=”” dp=”” b00ep5w22a=”” ref=”sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416840897&sr=8-1&keywords=doorbot”>.
I walked around the Union Square fair yesterday morning just talking to local artisans.Such spirit and local passion and creativity.Beside wine, I’m only buying locally this year. Already started actually!
love local.
How are you going to get anyone any food? They don’t grow that in Tribeca. ribbing you a little-I buy from small independent shops when I can too)
maybe i’ll post on this.actually been buying more from people rather than businesses. there is something fresh and wonderful and unrealistic from a market full of people just making and doing stuff before the realities of business crop in.
That’s what Etsy is all about
So right.I found myself just talking to these people and then just buying from them.Weird wonderful stuff like some young women from Astoria who was into wine and plants and is building a business hollowing out wine corks, planting micro plants in them and building growing fabrics.Comes with a mini sprayer.Got to love people who are just being themselves.
Totally
I just discovered Food52 after seeing their content partnership with Electrolux. Already planning on buying some gifts from them and have made some new recipes -it’s a fantastic site!However, I must agree that I get so overwhelmed when retailers force the holiday season to start early. It sometimes takes the focus away from what the holidays are really all about (family, friends, charity, and/or religion.)
Totally agree. Its not all about commerce
Great picks, even better that you’re an investor in all of them!This is my cookbook of choice for gift-giving this year:http://smile.amazon.com/Boa…
Nice. I just got that as a gift!
Now you just need to come eat at her restaurants! 🙂
ha. exactly.
There used to be an understood rule that you do not begin to promote Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. Retail stores would start the ads on black Friday. They windows would be displayed in full holiday regalia on the Friday morning after turkey day. “understood rules” go out the window when juxtaposed against “every many for himself” and a competitor drawing first blood and having to make the numbers.It actually makes more sense than it doesn’t. In past years competition online didn’t exist to the extent that it does today. Also as I like to say (ad infinitum) “you can only be as honest as your competition”. So if your competitors start to sell this way it’s hard to not follow suit. It’s illegal for competitors to get together and decide, formally, “ok we aren’t going to have sales until Black Friday, sign here and notarize as well”. So the minute someone steps out of line all the “understood” rules goes out the window. [1] [2]Many things in business (and in life are like this). You now those “bugs” that every network puts at the bottom of the TV screen? That all started (iirc I’m pretty sure) during the Gulf War by CNN. Now everybody does it all the time. Prior to that (iirc again) it wasn’t done by the networks at least. Nobody put their name in the lower right all the time or even for that matter other info at the bottom (also has to do with computer graphics as well..)[1] Yet B and H photo is still closed on Saturday as well as other orthodox jewish businesses.[2] And the Paramus mall is still closed on Sunday. Blue Laws. How stupid are they in this day and age? http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…
My personal holiday favorite this time of year is videos of morons chasing and rioting at Walmart or similar over Plasma Tv’s and other “door busters”.We don’t celebrate Christmas. But as I told my daughter yesterday “it’s a good holiday because people spend their money and it lowers the price of goods and services for everyone by increasing production and demand”. In it’s own way being mad at Christmas is like being mad at junkmail. Without junkmail there would be no postal service at all. Or the jobs that it creates. No matter what you think of the people who hold postal jobs the world wouldn’t be a great place with more unemployed people out there. (Same with the Port Authority it’s like an indirect tax and better than welfare and no job which would create in the end more crime…)
I agree with you more than you agree with yourself (tip of the hat to @JLM) I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and dislike that Costco had decorations up by Halloween-which I love too because I love kids. I will try to patronize your companies if I can. Have a great Thanksgiving with a full nest.