She said there was a range of customers looking for Christmas decorations this early, from people organising mid-winter Christmas parties to crafters wanting a head start on their handmade gifts - especially those planning to send a little Christmas cheer overseas.
Tauranga sewing teacher Cherryl Marriott fell squarely in the crafter category. Yesterday she was picking up a minimalist tree-print fabric to make a tablecloth.
The prolific sewer said she had already knocked off one Christmas quilt - blue skies and snowy scenes contrasted with classic Christmas red - and has another planned in traditional green, gold and red.
She was also planning to make table runners and other useful items for gifts.
By the time Christmas rolled around, she reckoned she would have finished 20 or 30 seasonal craft projects.
"I looove Christmas. I grew up in England and Europe and lived in Germany for a bit, so I am used to seeing CHRISTMAS," she said, with a quick flutter of jazz hands for emphasis.
The Christmas spirit was not limited to the city. At Giftrapt in Te Puke Christmas lovers can get a bargain on last year's seasonal stock, owner Marge Martelletti said.
She has nativity sets, trees, Santa figurines and New Zealand Christmas souvenirs at 25 per cent off.
It was good to get in early for those people planning to send things away and to make space for her new Christmas collection, which would arrive around Labour Day.
Spotlight in Rotorua was also ready to deck the halls, while AJ's Emporium was stocking tinsel and a handful of Christmas tree decorations all year round.
Additional reporting - Rotorua Daily Post
