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I stopped by my closest Home Depot store today, and they’re setting up their holiday gift center a full week earlier than usual.
I had a quick chat with the Assistant Store Manager, who was overseeing the setup. I asked them about what prompted this, and was told that the store’s Halloween merchandise sold out faster than expected, leaving most of the seasonal floorspace rather bare.
They had planned to restock the Halloween décor items, but the inventory is still “stuck on a [container] ship.” “You can’t sell air,” he told me, and so they decided to accelerate their holiday season setup.
The 10/25/21 start date on the boxes and promo materials indicate that this was a corporate-level decision for when stores should start putting out the holiday gift center promos. These displays are typically put out right after Halloween or during the first week of November, but as well all know this is not a typical holiday season.
Home Depot’s accelerated timetable isn’t all that surprising. We’ve already seen online retailers getting a jump on the holiday season, with Black Friday-like deals, and so it makes sense that Home Depot has adjusted their holiday promos plans for 2021 as well.
Also, Lowe’s surprised me last year, setting up their full holiday gift center tool deals earlier than usual, and it’s possible that Home Depot moved their schedule up as a competitive move.
Retailers and the media have also been urging customers to buy their must-haves early this year, because replenishment inventory might be not arrive fast enough to allow for late-season restocking.
Here’s what I expected for Home Depot’s holiday tool deals this year:
- Typical “gift center” promos (starting this week)
- Pro Black Friday deals later in the season
- Black Friday “doorbuster” deals, online only
This is what we saw last year, and it’s probably what we’re going to see this year. The main difference I’m seeing so far this year is that the gift center promos are a week early.
Have the holiday tool promos gone live at your Home Depot or Lowe’s stores yet?
And, since we’re talking about holiday tool deals, is there anything on your shopping list? Are there any types of tools or promos you’d like help keeping an eye out for?
