Jingle Bells in August: Xmas decorations already for sale

We're only just heading into spring but it's already starting to feel like Christmas in Rotorua.

Festive decorations and fabric are for sale at Rotorua's Spotlight store - and you'll be getting some in the mail too.

Store manager Annette Winiata said the arrival was "all running on schedule".

She said Christmas fabric was ordered in at the end of July and at the beginning of August as people needed time to make items and send them overseas.

Decorations and homeware generally arrived at the end of August and beginning of September in time for people to host winter Christmas parties. It was also in time for catalogues - which will go out in Rotorua residents' letter-boxes in September - featuring the range.

"Santa has come early this year," she said. "If we got a dollar for every time we have had a conversation about it with customers, we'd be rich. It certainly seems to roll around quickly."

AJ's Emporium is stocking tinsel and a handful of Christmas tree decorations but manager Sheryl Davy said it did so all year-round.

It was concentrating on Halloween decorations for October 31, with stock arriving soon, before the bulk of the Christmas stock would come in.

A quick sweep by the Rotorua Daily Post showed chain stores The Warehouse and Farmers weren't yet stocking decorations. Dollar Star and Pinata on Hinemoa St are also yet to start stocking their festive decorations.