For the past 10 days or so, most of us have been preoccupied by either Hurricane Sandy or the Presidential election, so the folks at Macy's are probably betting that you aren't paying attention to the fact that they are already fully decorated for Christmas. These photos were taken last Saturday, November 3rd, just a couple of days after Halloween, when the store was completely decked out for the Holidays. Thanksgiving, still the traditional kickoff for the Holiday shopping season, is still over two weeks away.
In fairness, Macy's Herald Square is an immense building, and it would probably be impossible to decorate it in just a few days before Thanksgiving, but nobody wants to think about the Holidays if they are still feeling queasy from all the candy they have sneaked from trick-or-treating kids. Also, Thanksgiving is as early as it can possibly be this year, giving everyone more than enough time to see Christmas decorations during their appropriate season. Still, most department stores have a tin ear when it comes to these things. Holiday is their big moneymaking season, and they can't start it soon enough whether customers want to see it or not.
On the plus side, if you are a fan of Macy's moribund ersatz Art Deco main floor, then this will be your last chance to see it festooned for the Holidays before it is replaced with a brighter, more modern look. Oddly, the holiday decorations were only placed on the non-renovated sections on the main floor when we visited over the weekend. The shiny new departments including new accessory shops for Coach and Michael Kors, were unencumbered by garlands and tinsel.
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