They buy it now because they have no choice. Stores simply don't carry the amount of stock for the holiday season that they used to and if you don't buy it now, there is a good chance that it will no longer be available by the time it was once traditionally bought. Every year the stuff comes out a little earlier and every year, the stores do a little worse that holiday season and they are all too stupid to see the association, LOL. Sure, the economy has something to do with it as it always does but the main issue is the greed of retail itself.