Australians have spoken, and they're not ready for Christmas cheer before December.

According to a recent poll conducted by YouGov, 58% of Australians would prefer not to see Christmas promotions in stores until 1 December. This finding challenges the common retail practice of launching Christmas campaigns well ahead of the festive season.

Paul Smith, YouGov's Director of Government and Social, said, “According to our poll, if Australians had their choice, there wouldn’t be any Christmas advertising in stores before the first of December at all.”

This sentiment is particularly strong among men, with 64% expressing resistance to early Christmas promotions, compared to 53% of women according to the study.

The poll also revealed a generational divide in attitudes towards early Christmas promotions. Young adults appeared more accepting of early festive cheer, with 58% of 18–24-year-olds and 51% of 25-34-year-olds expressing no issue with stores decorating whenever they pleased. In contrast, only 48% of 35-49-year-olds and a mere 35% of 50-64-year-olds shared this sentiment.

The most resistant group was those aged over 65, with a resounding 73% stating Christmas décor and promotions should be kept until December.

Income also played a role in attitudes towards early Christmas promotions. Over half (53%) of high-income individuals, defined as homes with a grouped income over $150,000, were happy for stores to begin decorating for the season earlier in the year.

The YouGov poll was conducted between 10-14 November 2023, with a nationally politically representative sample of 1,582 voters.