Norway retailers face backlash over early Christmas displays

Retailers in Norway are facing mixed reactions from customers as Christmas products begin appearing in stores as early as September. At IKEA, the holiday season is already in full swing with displays of gnomes, advent stars, wreaths, and Christmas trees. Paulo Alexandre Casqueiro Godinho, head of home furnishing and store design for IKEA Norway, defended the timing, noting that there are only about 80 days left until Christmas and that some other countries have been stocking holiday goods since early September.

Similarly, grocery stores like Rema 1000 have begun stocking seasonal items such as gingerbread men. While some consumers have expressed shock at the early arrival of holiday goods, store manager Bjørnar Rød suggested that the perception of an earlier Christmas may be due to the mild autumn weather making the seasonal shift feel more abrupt. Rød noted that holiday products like Christmas marzipan have been available around week 40 since the 1980s, suggesting that the retail cycle remains consistent with previous decades.