As soon as the Day of the Dead was over, the Christmas season started on Mission Street.
“We do it every year,” said Arline Santos, the daughter of the owner of Joannna’s Bridal & Fashion, which has already put out Christmas lights and decorations.
From pharmacies to one-dollar stores, many Mission merchants take advantage of the commercial spirit of holidays by putting up decorations early.
“People will pass by and see that our store holds this merchandise,” said Santos. The same is true for One $ Only, according to Said, one of the store’s cashiers. “After Thanksgiving we’ll put more on display,” he said.
Angie Alattica, who is from the Phillipines said she’s accustomed to the early holiday season. “In my country we have a long Christmas,” said Alattica, an assistant manager at Goodwill. “We start decorating in September and keep the decorations until January.”
“We expect people to buy more,” said Sandy Li, manager of Sealano Trading Inc. She said that this year they displayed Christmas products about a month earlier.
“The business is going down,” she said. The store sells mostly Chinese merchandise, toys, t-shirts, handbags, etc. Now at the front of the store they have music lights and Santa Clauses.
“It’s not so early,” said Julieta Olivero, cashier of La Internacional Productos para su Salud y Belleza. “Big stores are doing it. I’ve seen it in Costco.”
Other merchants think that selling Christmas retail the first days of November is timely. “If we put the merchandise on display at the beginning of December, we won’t sell what we have on stock,” said Ivan Sanches, customer service employee from Ana’s Linens. The store normally sells curtains, sheets, towels and now they have house decorations like Christmas kitchen mittens and Santa’s door decorations. “People buy little by little,” said Sanches.
Walgreens at Mission and 23rd streets has its display window full of Christmas goods. “Macy’s does it too,” said Abe Bitar, store manager. The store looks nicer, he said and women shoppers go to the Christmas aisles. “Women like to plan ahead and buy their Christmas stuff in advance.”
Discount City $1.00 Only starts selling Christmas products in mid-October. “We put out our Halloween together with Christmas merchandise,” said Sheffi Mohamed, the store manager.
“People buy,” he said pointing to a customer, ready to pay for her wrapping paper.
Mission local NOVEMBER 12, 2009