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Interactive: Why shopping for Christmas in October could save you money

Christmas decor is already hitting stores. Why shopping early could save you
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Christmas decorations are already filling store shelves in October, with retailers like Walmart and Target rolling out holiday merchandise well ahead of the season. Walmart's Jayna Hill noted that some items cost less than $5, while the priciest piece she spotted was a snowman at $22.87. Target manager Seth Horvath said his stores plan to begin setting Christmas merchandise around mid-October.

Shopping early can pay off for bigger purchases like artificial trees, which can go viral and sell out fast — last year's Twinkle Tree being one example. Walmart Deals is already discounting some trees, including one 7-foot pre-lit model marked down nearly $67.