Although it's nearly 100-degrees outside many stores are trying to get customers to start thinking about the holidays.
"It's just like black Friday," said Target employee Daniel Abel.
As part of its "Christmas In July" promotion, Target is offering up to 50-percent off, deep discounts and shipping deals all online. Retailers hope online sales will spill over into stores.
"It gives a new sense of urgency, buying a gift a little bit earlier, thinking about it a little bit earlier," said Abel.
But are customers ready to start thinking about Santa Clause right now?
"I don't know that I will embrace it for us," said Brenda Walters of Reedley.
In fact Fresno State Marketing Professor William Rice says not many people are ready to start thinking about Christmas shopping. "There's a small amount of people, but they hope that small amount is a sample of the bigger total population."
He says Christmas In July is actually a way for stores to research what's hot, what people are looking for and where they are willing to spend money during the holidays. "Any information they can gather now in July will help them decide what to buy directions, inventory and pricing strategies."
He says it works-with a tough economy and two previous holiday seasons in a slump retailers can't afford to stock their shelves with the wrong products.
