'Overhyped rubbish': Shoppers lash out at festive displays at Woolworths and Coles 100 days before Christmas
- Coles started selling mince pies last month and Woolworths has matched them
- The move has been met with backlash on social media from shoppers
- A retail expert has revealed that decision is a ploy to get customers talking
Shoppers are fuming after Woolworths and Coles set up festive displays at supermarkets 100 days before Christmas.
Coles started selling mince pies last month and shelves are now stocked with Christmas puddings, gingerbreads and chocolate elves.
Woolworths has set up a festive section in some stores, selling mince pies, Christmas pudding and other seasonal treats.
Shoppers are fuming after Woolworths and Coles set up festive displays at supermarkets 100 days before Christmas
Woolworths has set up a festive section in some stores, selling mince pies, Christmas pudding and other seasonal treats
The move has been met with backlash on social media from shoppers saying it is far too early to think about Christmas.
One shopper wrote: 'Christmas is in DECEMBER, not September. By my reckoning that means there's 100 days for you to bombard us with this overhyped rubbish. Heard of seasonality??'
Another added: 'Woolies are you serious!!!! Putting out Christmas chocolate this early!!!'
A third customer said: 'I think Woolworths is a bit confused or they are bringing out the Christmas stock early.'
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The decision is a marketing strategy designed to get customers talking, according to Professor Gary Mortimer at Queensland University of Technology.
'It's about creating discussion and a dialogue around Christmas, getting their brand out there and in the media and having people talking about the brand,' he told Yahoo News.
'Any publicity is good publicity as they say.'
When Coles mince pies went on sale in August, Coles Product Developer Liz da Silva told Daily Mail Australia: 'People clearly don't want to wait for a little taste of Christmas.'
The festive treat (pictured) hit the shelves of all Coles supermarkets across Australia from August
Ms da Silva also said there was nothing wrong 'with a little taste of Christmas to help you get through that last little stretch of a long winter'.
'Being able to resist them until Christmas? Well, that's a tougher challenge,' she said.
Last year 11.5million pies were sold at Coles.
'We're so proud of these fruit mince pies we just had to let our customers try them as soon as possible,' Ms da Silva said.
'We know that people like to spread out their costs by buying what products they can further out from the big day.'
The fruit pies are being sold in packets of six for $2.
The move comes after Coles began selling hot cross buns all-year round instead of just the Easter period.
Ms da Silva (pictured) also said there was nothing wrong 'with a little taste of Christmas to help you get through that last little stretch of a long winter'
