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CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY AT HOUSING UNITS – FESTIVE SALES UP 20%.

Christmas is coming early at Housing Units with sales of seasonal goods up nearly 20% on the same period in 2008 – and there’s a strong move back to traditional toys, games and decorations.

The Failsworth, Manchester, store launched its Christmas decorations, trees and toys department on September 10, and already there are clear signs that it was the right move for both Housing Units and its customers.

“Christmas trees are big this year, in every way. There’s a bigger swing than ever towards the American style of big tree, massively decorated, with huge demand for clip-on butterflies and roses, for instance, along with the usual baubles, stars and sparkling ornaments,” said Nick Fox of Housing Units.

“Some of our trees sold out weeks before we expected, but we’ve re-stocked, and they continue to march out of the door, primarily those in the two-metre plus sizes.

“A really big winner is our range of decoration themes – whole packages of decorations for tree and home following six different designs, ranging from the out-and-out traditional to right-now 21st century sharpness.

“But the one thing that’s standing out is a big push for nostalgia – albeit with some very 21st century technology behind better-then-ever effects.

“Lit and animated nativity scenes sold out way ahead of expectation – again, we’ve re-stocked – and traditional Santa and snowman figures have been massively popular.

“The snowmen are interesting – they have either red and white or blue and white scarves, and the volumes we’ve shifted indicate that football rivalry in the Manchester area is very big, and the fans even go for red and white or blue and white Christmasses.

“But there seems to be a bit of a nostalgic Christmas revival, with traditional toys and games generating a great reaction, especially from young children - skipping ropes, labyrinth games, marionettes, knitting dolly kits, chalk boards, musical nutcracker soldiers, paint your own piggy banks and paint your own decorations being in great demand.”