christmas blurb?...already?

For more than a week now I've noticed Christmas stuff in Fred Meyer and Walmart. Is store prep for Christmas starting sooner and sooner or is it my imagination? So I did a web search and found this: "Christmas stock seems to be making an appearance earlier and earlier each year, with some rolling out merchandise as early as October. Unlike other countries, Americans are keen to begin their Christmas shopping way in advance. A recent survey by GMI Poll indicates that 49 percent will start their shopping two or three months prior to Christmas, 40 percent a month in advance with only seven percent of respondents planning to shop week before Christmas." from Extended Retail Solutions. I guess everyone probably knows this.