No, You're Not Seeing Things: 'Holiday Creep' Marketing Campaign Filling Stores With Holiday Decorations In August

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Pumpkins and candy canes already taking over stores? Your eyes aren't fooling you.

Retailers are getting a head start this year with holiday items on the shelves before Labor Day.

CBS2's Reena Roy has more on how you can get the most for your money.

Costumes, skeletons and scarecrows, oh my.

"Um, it's kinda early and it's always the reaction that I have," Astoria resident Alessandra Benedetti said.

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This isn't a trick -- the aisles and aisles of Halloween merchandise spooking shoppers.

And don't forget the Thanksgiving decorations, too, not to mention the array of Christmas wreaths and holly already arrived.

"When I see Christmas, I'm not ready for it," one shopper said.

Some disagree, saying the holiday head start is a treat, even in the dog days of summer.

"I love it. I think it's great," said Janet Leunis of Woodside. "It's better than thinking about the hot summer."

"It gets me in the mood, you know? It's wonderful," added Rosemary Rodde of Jackson Heights. "If you wait too long you miss out on everything. You'll be surprised how fast this stuff goes."

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So the big question is: should you buy your seasonal items this early or should you wait? CBS2's Roy asked a shopping expert how to get the best deals.

"The sales will get better as you get closer to the season, so hold off," Andrea Woroch said.

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Woroch said you may see some sales, but don't be fooled. The prices will keep dropping.

"They want to create a sense of urgency and make you feel like you need to buy it now," Woroch said.

She told CBS2 that stores are putting out items earlier each year. It's a marketing tactic called the "holiday creep," strategically designed to get shoppers spending.

"Just keep your shopping radar on what you need now," Woroch said.

She said if you can, make do with the decorations you already have this year, so you can get even better, post-holiday prices in January.

Shopping experts also recommend using price-tracking apps to buy items at the right time.