Step aside Halloween, Santa Claus is in town.
A large blow-up version of the jolly old elf was erected outside Pitkins Home Store at the Woodbine Shopping Center on Route 234 on Wednesday. It took about 20 minutes to blow up, according to a store employee.
The lawn decoration is one of many sold by the home improvement store this year. Others include oversized snowmen, as well as smaller Santa Clauses and Christmas mice.
The store does not have Halloween decorations for sale, according to the store employee we spoke with.
Pitkins isn’t alone in putting up Christmas decorations for sale in October. Walmart already has aisles of holiday decorations inside their stores.
The National Retail Federation expects about an average holiday sales season with sales increasing nearly 4%. Slow job growth and concerns over a possible federal government shutdown will hamper holiday spending, according the Retail Federation.
Halloweeen will be celebrated Saturday, Oct. 31. Christmas comes on Friday, Dec. 25.
