Aldi is making people wonder if it’s too early or too late to start thinking about Christmas. I’m Amy E. Feldman.
Aldi markets announced that in the UK, they’re bringing out Christmas products in June. They say they want customers to celebrate Junemas since people couldn’t be together in December—so they’re selling pigs in blankets, kebabs and other foods they say usually sell out at Christmas. One hopes it’s not just leftovers that the British Aldi couldn’t sell in December.
In the US, stores like Walmart want people to think about the actual Christmas, and open their layaway programs in the summer for products consumers have to pay off in installments. Consumer protection laws vary by state so, before you open one, ask if there’s a fee to open it, if there’s a penalty for late payments, if you can get a refund if you later decide you don’t want the merchandise. If so, is the refund in cash or just in credit? Finally, do you get the benefit of a sale if the price is later reduced? You also might want to find out if the kebabs you want to buy now will last until Christmas.
Leave a Reply