As I walked into my local Target for a quick errand run on the night of Nov. 7, my retinas were stunned as they absorbed the red and green colors that illuminated the store in decorations and lights. Left and right, shelves were stocked with pillows, blankets, candies and trinkets, all sporting the same color combo.

This could only mean one thing: Christmas is upon us. Except … it wasn’t. It was Nov. 7. Halloween had been a mere seven days ago, and Thanksgiving was in 20. Yet, to my horror, an acoustic version of “Here Comes Santa Claus” began to shriek over the speakers, ringing in my ears despite my will.

“42 percent of shoppers plan to begin browsing and buying for the holiday season before November,” reports the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2025 holiday survey.

This outrageous number of shoppers is no coincidence — in fact, it’s quite intentional. Total Retail explains that companies deliberately launch their holiday ad campaigns as early as September to “engage customers at a time [that] delivers the best ROI (return on investment) for the brand.”

By pairing early campaigns with “limited time” sales and “exclusive” deals, corporations encourage shoppers to spend more gradually, with just a few purchases at a time — a tactic that feels responsible, but actually generates more profit for the company overall. The NRF confirms this strategy’s success: 54% of early shoppers say they start early to “spread out their budget,” a habit that benefits businesses far more than consumers. 

But Christmas is so much more than just decorating and shopping. It’s a feeling of nostalgia, comfort, family and, even more important than all of that, the anticipation of a warm Starbucks drink in your hand — a break from the iced latte that consumes your bank account year-round.

Why are we so quick to chase that feeling? Because our brains are hardwired to love anticipation. Marketing psychologists in a report by Dool Creative Agency say we get a larger hit of dopamine, not when we finally unwrap the gift, but in the process of looking forward to it. Corporations know this and have turned holidays into one long build-up, “get ready for Christmas before fall is over.” We’re not living in the moment, but rather the expectation of the moment. Then, once the moment hits, it’s on to the next. 

Just yesterday, thousands of customers were sipping the unnaturally orange hue of a pumpkin spice latte while looking around at fall-themed decorations in the store. Now, at my local Starbucks, a dozen people sit at tables drinking a peppermint mocha, as a dozen more order one from baristas wearing red aprons, surrounded by pine tree garlands decorated with ornaments.

The rush is tempting to join, but maybe the present deserves just a little more of our attention.