100 Days Until Christmas: When Will The 'Creep' Begin In Montgomery County?

By KARA SEYMOUR

There are two types of people in this world: the kind that get really excited about Christmas and the kind that despise the hype.

Sept. 15 marks a milestone in terms of Christmas countdowns: 100 days to go. Whether or not you love it or hate it, the “Christmas creep” is on its way — and starting earlier and earlier each year.

It may be late summer, but many consumers have already started their holiday shopping.

According to a study by creditcards.com done over Labor Day weekend, 14 percent of Americans — or about 32 million people—have begun shopping for the holiday season. Nearly one in four shoppers, or 23 percent, say they will finish holiday shopping by the end of November, the study found.

“We love to complain about stores putting up holiday displays earlier and earlier each year,” said Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. “But the truth is that millions of Americans start holiday shopping long before the first Christmas tree appears in a store.”

The study found that some people, about two percent of consumers, are completely finished with their holiday shopping. “Grandma and Grandpa are most likely to be ahead of the game: 7 percent of those over 65 years old have finished shopping, compared to 1% or fewer of those 64 or younger,” the study found.