In a less-than-shocking move considering 2009’s overall slow retail sales and cutbacks in retail toy sections (see “Walmart Cutting Toy Space”), Sears and Toys ‘R’ Us are encouraging shoppers to get a (very) early start on their holiday shopping with sales that would seem to belong more in December than in July.

 

Sears, which normally trots out its holiday sales Nov. 1, has opened a “Christmas Lane” section on its web site (as well as on Kmart.com; both Sears and Kmart are owned by Sears Holding Corp.), with discounts on hundreds of items across all categories, including dozens of items in its toys section. Both sites offer layaway plans and free shipping on orders of over $75.

 

Toys ‘R’ Us is countering with its “Christmas in July” promotion, scheduled to run from July 19 to July 25 in stores and on toysrus.com. Discounted products include the Hannah Montana Malibu Beach House, Guitar Hero: World Tour Super Bundle, as well as Star Wars toys and Milton Bradley board games.

 

The annual “Toy Wars” got an early start in 2008 when KB Toys, Target, and Walmart cut prices in early October (see “Target, KB Respond to Walmart”) and may have been a factor in the overall modest decline in toy sales for the year (see “U.S. Toy Sales Down 3% in 2008”), though it wasn’t enough to save KB Toys from extinction (see “Sayonara KB Toys!”). “Christmas Creep” is hardly a new concept, but it’ll be interesting to see how and how many consumers respond to sales with a snowy theme when most are still sweating out the summer.