Christmas Arrives Early at Some Capital Region Retailers

It looks as though Christmas has already arrived at some big box stores around the Capital Region. Are you ready for the holiday season? Target, for example, is.

This year December 25th falls on a Friday and, as of today, there are 61 days until the big day. 2 months from yesterday, 8 weeks, maybe 4 paychecks. I know, I don't like to face this reality, it actually makes me really annoyed. Problem is we can't stop time.

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I had to make a late evening run to Target on Balltown Road in Niskayua last night. Not my favorite activity but it was a must. When I walked in there was a sparkle that grabbed my eye. Quick look to my left and there it was, Christmas.

Dude, it was 65 degrees in the Capital Region today. Not only that, we haven't even passes Halloween yet. Trust me there are plenty of Halloween costumes, candies and decorations but world's are colliding.

Karolyi - Townsquare Media

With Target planning ahead, maybe we should too. Here are some of the expected Christmas Eve hours for major retailers in 2026:

• Walmart: 6:00am to 6:00pm
• Target: 7:00am to 8:00pm
• Sam’s Club: 8:00am to 6:00pm
• Costco: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Read more: All Aboard This Holiday Train In the Southern Adirondacks

Karolyi - Townsquare Media

According to Yahoo! Finance, holiday spending in 2026 is expected to be up, with core major retail and industry forecasts projecting steady growth compared to last year.

This can be a bit deceiving as much of this forecast is based on inflationary pricing, which is a general and sustained increase in the prices of products and services over time. So, fewer products but higher prices for those products.