Waitrose the reply and YES it did come that quick

Thank you for your e-mail.

It has been our experience that many customers wish to spread the cost of the forthcoming season over a period of time, and by introducing Christmas products at the end of September / beginning of October, it enables them to do so.

We have given careful consideration to the question of the introduction of our Christmas assortment this year bearing in mind the views of those customers with a like minded view to you. It is the case that the on sale date for Christmas merchandise is no earlier this year than it has been in previous years. Indeed, if anything, we tend to start the sale of such products a little later now than we did a few years ago. With regard to the rate of sale of Christmas merchandise, it is the case that it is spread across a number of weeks, and whilst some customers choose to delay the purchase of wrapping paper and puddings until the week before Christmas, many others opt to buy these earlier, and concentrate their purchases in the last few days before Christmas to fresh food items.

Regards,

Waitrose oh PLEASE I would have thought you would be better

I have just been shopping at the local Waitrose and shock horror I was confronted by Christmas.

I believe it is 85 days when writing this until "the big day" and you are selling Christmas stock.

Now another supermarket has witnessed an email much like this, but to be honest they were BAD and had things out over 100 days before "the event". I do however have to give you praise that you have not put Christmas stock out in our faces (see the orange supermarket for details), and also you do have only a small amount of items not a huge aisle or two.

But seriously why do you have items out before at least early November? We have 2 "events" prior to Christmas which require shelf space yet I don't see anything for them yet.

I would have though that a high class store such as your self would be a little restrained.