Christmas has come extremely early – 149 days early, that is – to Selfridges' flagship store.

On Monday 29 July, Selfridges opened its Christmas store on Oxford Street in London, just under five months before the big day.

The world-famous department store claims to be the first in the world to have opened its Christmas section this year.

Last year, Selfridges' Christmas store opened two days later than this year, on 31 July.

A spokesperson for the department store explained to The Independent that the Christmas section tends to open annually on the last Monday of July.

Selfridges' Christmas store opened in London on Monday 29 July (PA)

They added that the shop's Christmas section is typically the first in the UK, if not Europe, to open among department stores.

Eleanor Gregory, Christmas and home buyer at Selfridges, explained that the department store's Christmas section is particularly popular among tourists visiting the capital.

"We have so many customers visiting from all over the world, eager to snap up festive decorations and souvenirs on their London summer holidays which they can't buy at home," Gregory said.

"Our summer Christmas shop launch simply addresses the growing demand for convenience Christmas shopping outside the traditional Christmas season from many of our customers."

Gregory added that a "large number of domestic customers" also like to do their Christmas shopping early on in the year so that they can take it "off their to-do list".

Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever Show all 8 1 /8 Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever "Future fantasy" Father Christmas shows off some of the decorations available in the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 PA Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever "Future fantasy" Father Christmas offers a gift to a child in the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 Getty Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever David Bowie themed Christmas tree decorations for sale as part of the seasonal Christmas range in the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 PA Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever Christmas tree decorations for sale as part of the seasonal Christmas range in the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 Reuters Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever Christmas tree decorations for sale as part of the seasonal Christmas range in the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 PA Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever "Future fantasy" Father Christmas welcomes shoppers to the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 PA Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever "Future fantasy" Father Christmas decorates the tree at the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 Reuters Inside Selfridges' earliest Christmas store ever "Future fantasy" Father Christmas poses with a staff member the Selfridges Christmas shop in London on July 29 Getty

Customers can also buy an £100 30cm-tall Santa Claus figurine, which depicts Father Christmas sitting with his legs crossed on a yoga mat while wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Yoga Club Santa".

From Monday 2 September more products will be made available from the Selfridges Christmas store.

These items will include a £95 crown Christmas tree topper in gold velvet and a £2,000 pre-lit Bedminster fake Christmas tree.

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Last week, a pub in Bristol became the "first in Britain" to put up its Christmas tree, while the country was in the midst of a heatwave.

This is the third consecutive year that the Air Balloon pub has erected its Christmas tree far earlier than one would usually expect of any establishment.