It is a bit of a cliche to say that Christmas seems to get earlier and earlier each year, but this is frankly ridiculous. Selfridges has announced that they it become the first department store to start selling its Christmas range - a full four months before the festive season.
Obviously, the logic of selling tinsel, trees, presents and the like in the middle of a record-breaking summer heatwave might seem a bit hard to grasp, but bear with us - there is actually a little method in the madness.
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It turns out that Selfridges sells an enormous amount of Christmas gear to tourists, the vast majority of whom visit London in the summer - so if the store wants to sell them Christmas tat, then the logical time to sell them it is when they are in the city, which is in the summer.
It takes a logical leap or two, but there is something there.
"We have so many customers visiting from all over the world, eager to snap up festive decorations and souvenirs on their London summer holidays which they can't buy at home," said Eleanor Gregory, Selfridges Christmas and home buyer.
"Our summer Christmas shop launch simply addresses the growing demand for convenience Christmas shopping outside the traditional Christmas season."
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It isn't just the hordes of foreign tourists, however, according to Ms Gregory.
"They [the customers] include a large number of domestic customers who love to Christmas shop very early in the year to get it wrapped and taken off their to-do list," she added.
"They also tell us that they like to be able to take their pick of the very best selection available whilst the range we offer is at its most comprehensive."
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While their is a modicum of sense in their decision, people on social media weren't quite as enthusiastic about the idea.
"I'll vote for any political party that bans Christmas decorations, & Christmas range going on sale before 11 November. You don't need tinsel in shops to buy stuff early!" wrote one Twitter user.
"No one in their right mind is thinking of Christmas now," wrote another.
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"It's not supply and demand, it's convincing consumers they must be out of the loop if they don't respond to stores promotions. I hope that no one supports this mad enterprise."
We can think of one person who might appreciate it, though: Roy Wood, who hit the charts in 1973 with the classic Christmas track 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day' and, presumably, has been struggling to gather the requisite amount of festive supplies for ten months of the year ever since. Getting closer, Roy mate.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Christmas, UK News, Weird