FOR MANY, THE first advent calendar sighting sparks nothing but joy. For others, a festive dread. But whatever your feelings, you’ll no doubt have noticed that Christmas, in all its gaudy grandeur, is well underway. And, at the risk of sounding like your grandmother – gosh! Doesn’t it start earlier every year?

Well yes, actually, it does. High-street favourite John Lewis & Partners opened its online Christmas shop on 31 August and, despite early predictions that the nation would spend less on Christmas in 2023, has already seen a 25% increase on festive purchases compared to this time last year. Thanks to rising costs of basically everything, the need to spread out those yuletide bills has made for a much earlier kick-off on Christmas for some.

We’re also thinking more carefully about our festive fodder. Gone are the days of nipping out to pick up the usual bits ’n’ bobs – a few shelves of baubles and tired tinsel no longer cut the proverbial mustard. Instead, stores are creating full-blown immersive experiences, transforming whole floors into Santa’s grottos for months at a time.

‘Our Christmas shops will transport customers to a magical place of festive wonder, bursting full of decorating inspiration and gifting ideas,’ says Lisa Cherry, Christmas buyer at John Lewis & Partners. ‘The buying and design teams have collaborated to develop six unique and distinct Christmas themes, and we’re introducing Christmas tree workshops in-store to help guide and inspire.’

Elsewhere, the queen of reinventing retail Anya Hindmarch has launched her festively fabulous pop-up grotto – located on London’s Pont Street, where she fits out her spaces according to consumer demands across the season. ‘We will have expeditions with Father Christmas to find his cottage through candy cane forests for the little ones, lots of seasonal treats in the Anya Café next door and a new Wreath Hut for 2023,’ explains Hindmarch. ‘It’s all-out festive this year!’

And it’s not just Anya’s grotto that’s backing the wreath as this year’s festive must-have. Searches for ‘Christmas wreath making’ are up 800% on Google, while, back at John Lewis & Partners, not only are wreath sales already up 107%, the brand has also tipped a set of enormous outdoor inflatable baubles to be its best-selling item.

So, from giant shiny balls to Anya Hindmarch’s smiley faced mince pies – it’s time to put the Advocaat on ice and stock up on Twiglets because, whether you like it or not, Christmas actually is getting earlier each year. And if you can’t beat ’em…