Merry Christmas! Selfridges opens its festive floor – with only 142 shopping days left to go before Santa comes to town

It’s a balmy 21C outside, the children are on their school holidays and millions of Britons are looking forward to a well-deserved break in the sun.

So, naturally, Selfridges has opened its Christmas store – with a scant 142 shopping days left to buy all the celebration’s essentials.

The department store proudly claims to be the first in the world to launch its Christmas shop, with the North Pole-themed space set to welcome shoppers dressed in sunglasses and shorts.

Tis the season? Staff at Selfridges in London, look at this year’s Christmas shop before it opens this morning

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Thinking WAY ahead: Selfridges is the first Department Store in the World to be ready for Christmas 2014

More than 700 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of the London flagship has been decked out with over 100,000 festive decorations, expected at this stage to appeal mainly to tourists wanting to take home a memento.

Customers can choose from more than 300 different crackers, almost 450 Christmas tree styles and some 200 different styles of decorations.

Aren’t you hot Santa? A sunglasses-wearing Father Christmas takes a breather

At this stage the Christmas shop is expected to appeal mainly to tourists wanting to take home a memento

Over 700 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of the London flagship has been decked out with festive decorations

Bestsellers are expected to be British designs featuring London themes and the Union flag

The store’s Christmas home and decorations buyer, Geraldine James, said: ‘Despite the summer weather, we’re in full festive mode here at Selfridges.

‘We’ve been working on this year’s Christmas Shop since Christmas last year.’

Another store with premature Christmas spirirt is Clintons, which has already brought out its line of festive cards at its site in the Trafford Centre in Manchester, with the store showing off merry Christmas products.

But the display bemused shoppers who were browsing around the shops for sun tan lotion, BBQ equipment and swimming shorts.

One shopper said: ‘It’s a bit premature to be selling Christmas cards when you think Christmas is the best part of five months away.

‘It takes the phrase “Christmas comes early” to a whole new level.

‘I normally buy my cards two weeks before so to see them on sale now is quite laughable.

‘It’s too far ahead, we haven’t even got summer out of the way. I actually came out into town to buy a barbeque and popped into this shop for a birthday card.

‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw these Christmas cards – no doubt the Christmas trees will be out on sale soon.’

Winter sun: Christmas has come early to the Trafford Centre in Manchester with Clintons Cards having a large display of Christmas cards in its store front

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