New Canaan Shoppers: It's Not Christmas Yet

NEW CANAAN, Conn. – Gayla Kaiser loves seeing Christmas decorations in store windows.

So a walk on Elm Street this week made Kaiser smile with several downtown New Canaan businesses already in the spirit of the season with lights, garland and Christmas trees in windows or awnings. “I love it!” she said. “I’m putting up my tree this weekend.”

Her friend Sally Ann Sciarretti was not as enthused. “It’s too early,” Sciarretti said as the pair passed Papyrus, a downtown shop already displaying yuletide splendor. “Let’s get through Thanksgiving first.”

Several downtown shoppers say they’re put off by Christmas decorations in storefronts before Thanksgiving has arrived. Kathleen Holland says the Christmas-themed displays at stores such as Papyrus and Ralph Lauren inspire her to start shopping sooner. “I want to celebrate Thanksgiving. Just slow down,” said Holland, who is also the town’s director of inland wetlands and watercourses.

“It’s all very attractive, but it’s a little too early,” agreed her husband, Jeff Holland.

The Whitney Shop on Elm Street will have its Christmas wares in the windows this weekend, though some of the in-store displays have combined Thanksgiving and Christmas themes, featuring pilgrims and pinecones. Co-owner Karen Stinchfield said the early Christmas display gives customers a chance to see what’s available sooner as they look for holiday gifts. “People like to see what’s available,” she said.

Plus, Stinchfield said, a lot of work goes into decorating five windows for Christmas. “It’s a lot of work,” she said. “We’ll get help from a lot of elves.”

This year’s displays feel particularly early because of the snowstorm that knocked out power to most residents and postponed Halloween trick-or-treating by a week, New Canaan Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tucker Murphy said. “The bottom line is that when it comes to retail, the December holidays are a key month for their businesses so they need to do whatever it takes to make it work,” she said. 

Family Britches still has a fall foliage theme in its window, and owner Rick Buggee wouldn’t have it any other way. His store holds off on Christmas displays until the weekend after Thanksgiving. A Christmas display six weeks away is “a little premature,” he said.

But John and Betsi Stopper, who visited downtown for dinner Tuesday, enjoy the holiday displays “It’s nice to see,” Betsi Stopper said.

John Stopper, CEO of NorthStar Performance Strategies in Stamford, said he understands that businesses try to get ahead of the Black Friday rush. “They’re doing all they can to attract customers,” he said.

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