Go Over The Board At After Christmas Sales

Christmas will soon be over, and you’ll probably be sitting back and fiddling with your new toys – if you got any for Christmas. Believe it or not, I did not get a single gadget this year – not even from myself! But for those in the United States, there is good news: a lot of big names in the retail world are holding After Christmas Sales! Think Walmart, among others.

From what I have been reading and hearing, consumers can get their hands on a wide variety of electronics for great prices. I guess it is how the stores are going to get rid of their stock from this year. After all, they need to free up space for the plethora of new goods that will be coming in early next year.

If you have been wanting to get an HDTV, this might be the perfect time to do so. Walmart will be selling some brands at almost half the original price! You might even be able to get one for only several hundred dollars. They are also slashing the prices on certain digital camera brands as well as cell phones.

Other stores which have announced similar promos include Dell, Circuit City, KMART, Target, and Best Buy. Here’s another tip: go to Circuit City for huge discounts on the PS3. For laptop deals, you might want to check out Best Buy and Target. If I were you, I would enjoy all day today and get ready for a day of shopping tomorrow.

Day After Christmas Sales in Milwaukee

The day after Christmas is one of the best days of the year for bargain shoppers. It can be a great day to pick up deals on Christmas items for next year, like wrapping paper and Christmas cards. It’s also a great time to redeem gift certificates that you may have received as a gift.

If you are going to venture out on December 26th in search of bargains, you can save yourself some time by previewing the sales on the website of stores you like to shop at. At the time of this post many stores such as Amazon, Best Buy, Boston Store, and Kohls and do not have previews of their post Christmas sales, but its likely they’ll release previews soon. However, some stores like JCPenney and Sears do have previews available.

JCPenney will be opening at 5am on Saturday for their after-Christmas Sale. Visit their website to preview their ad for the store closest to you. The online ad has coupons for $15 off a purchase over $75 or more, and $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. Doorbuster sales include towels, hooded sweatshirts, women’s sweaters, and men’s and women’s cold weather accessories. Their entire stock of holiday tablewear, decor, and trim is 75% off.

Sears is advertising doorbuster sales from 7am to Noon on Saturday. Notable doorbusters at Sears include an extra 40% off clearance prices, $9.99 Canyon River Blues jeans for the family, and 70% off coats for the family. Sears also is advertising 20% off all Kenmore appliances; however, before purchasing an appliance, make sure you have researched the Wisconsin “cash for clunker appliances” program that begins January 1, 2010.

December 25th Update – Check out today’s Journal Sentinel for after Christmas sale ads. Offers include:

* Boston Store and Macy’s – coupon for $10 off a purchase of $25 or more. Valid Dec 26th until 1pm.
* Home Depot – 50% off all holiday decorations
* Kohl’s – stores open at 6am on Dec 26th. Earlybird offers from 6am to 1pm.
* Michaels – winter clearance event with savings up to 70%
* HOBO Home Owners Bargain Outlet – end of year inventory clearance

Finding the Best Day-after-Christmas Sales in 2011

After the craziness and crowded shopping centers you have probably encountered during your Christmas shopping endeavors, it is now time to hit the sales once again with day-after-Christmas sales in 2011. This is the perfect time to purchase any items you have not already bought before Christmas, since you can receive excellent savings on everything from new TVs to sheet sets for your bed. To ensure you receive the items you want for the best prices, it can help to follow a few guidelines for finding the best day-after-Christmas sales in 2011.
Tips for Day-after-Christmas Sales in 2011

* Make a shopping list: one of the best ways to ensure you stick to your budget and only purchase items you need is to make a shopping list for December 26, since this can help you avoid unnecessary purchases.
* Dress comfortably: while it may seem overrated initially, dressing comfortably when you shop for day-after-Christmas sales in 2011 is an essential part of finding the best deals, since you are likely to spend more time searching for items you really want if you are comfortable.
* Shop early: you should always shop as early as possible when searching for day-after-Christmas sales because you are more likely to find the merchandise you want.
* Visit deal-hunting websites: these sites can help you find deals on day-after-Christmas sales in 2011 by allowing you to browse thousands of deals from many different retailers simultaneously. This can help you save time by allowing you to choose which stores you want to visit in advance, which also makes you more likely to receive the deals you want.

According to projections, day-after-Christmas sales in 2011 should be much more spectacular than those in previous years because retailers plan to discount items earlier they have in past years. The goal of this is to not only increase shopping activity, but also to give consumers like you more time to prepare for post-holiday savings. While shopping directly after Christmas is likely to present crowded shopping centers and long checkout lines, the benefits you receive by purchasing deeply discounted items can make this small inconvenience worthwhile.

Day After Christmas Sales – Some Surprising Deals Found

Day After Christmas Sales are of growing importance to retailers, both online and off.

Their goal, according to consumer analysts, is to clear out stocks of inventory brought in for Christmas, convert people coming to the store for returns into paying customers, and to continue the positive sales flow that started with Cyber Friday sales.

For the consumer, Day After Christmas sales can make for some serious discounts.

Some of the sales will be from the major players. WalMart, for example, is launching their storewide clearance sale on the day after Christmas. The sale is good both online and in their local stores. Target has a variety of items on sale, from electronics to clothes, and is offering free shipping on thousands of items from their site on orders over $50. BestBuy will have deals on electronics.

Surprisingly, though, some major online retailers are quiet on a day that one would expect big promotions. Amazon is likely to attract lots of traffic on the day after Christmas. With an expected 8 million Kindles sold ( according to the New York Times) there will be plenty of people going to their site to download e-books. But as of early this morning, there’s no mention of any Day After Christmas sale taking place.

But there are a slew of smaller sites taking up the slack. Some that you might not have considered before are:

Harbor Freight, harborfreight.com, which has 80% off select clearance items right now.

Old Navy, oldnavy.gap.com, is having a Holiday After Party Sale with 60% off select items in their stores and online.

Cell phone site WireFly is having an After Christmas Blowout Sale on their cell phones.

Macy’s, macys.com, is having a Day After Christmas Sale.

Ace hardware, acehardware.com, is having a Red Tag Sale from today through the end of the year.

And Sears, sears.com, has 20% off on Kenmore appliances.

Retailers hoping for happy returns

The day after Christmas, typically among the 10 biggest-volume retail days of the year, is expected to be particularly robust as it falls on a Sunday, and consumers are rediscovering shopping as a leisure activity. Retail pundits predict that malls will be crowded and computers will be humming as people return sweaters that don't fit, spend their gift cards in stores and online, and look to treat themselves.

"We've crossed the line from not spending any money to saying maybe the economy is getting better," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group Inc., a Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm. "Shopping is very contagious. We're starting to see consumers recognizing all the things they've put off buying for so long."

Memories of having to take unexpected markdowns of up to 70 percent on leftover holiday merchandise during the recession prompted retailers to keep inventories low during the critical months of November and December. The strategy has helped retailers better manage their businesses, but it also means clearance racks are expected to be thin.

Instead, merchants are gearing up for the day with planned promotions on new merchandise, extended hours and doorbusters in hopes of cashing in on gift cards and drawing out the holiday season. J.C. Penney and Target got a jump on competitors by unveiling details of their day-after-Christmas sales last week.

J.C. Penney will open at 7 a.m. Sunday, offering more than 100 doorbuster deals, an uptick from last year, according Tim Lyons, spokesman for the Plano, Texas-based department store chain. The deals include new arrivals in teen apparel, markdowns on running shoes and fitness clothing, and price cuts on draperies and blinds. The retailer is also kicking off its annual white sale.

And for shoppers who can't wait for the stores to reopen after closing on Christmas Day, J.C. Penney's day-after-Christmas deals will be available online Dec. 25 — with free shipping on purchases of more than $69.

Likewise, Target is extending its store hours Sunday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offering free shipping on orders of select items totaling more than $50.

Most Target holiday gift cards are redeemed in its electronics department, so the Minneapolis-based discount chain is advertising deals on video games, TVs and cameras. It is also offering 20 percent off Apple iPod accessories and Philips headphones.

"Retailers have been good about their planning this year," said Madison Riley, managing director at Kurt Salmon Associates, an Atlanta-based retail consulting firm. "They've been careful not to buy too much. And they're communicating now about post-Christmas sales to make sure they stay ahead of the value story. They want to make sure they capture the gift cards as soon as they can."

NPD Group predicts gift card sales will increase 6 percent for the November-December period, a faster pace than the 3 percent to 4 percent sales gain most retail pundits forecast for the retail industry this holiday season.

"Gift cards are a huge piece of why next week is such a big deal," said Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals.com, a Chicago-based bargain-hunting Web site. "A big chunk of presents are gift cards and people want to cash them in quickly."

The week after Christmas can account for up to 15 percent of a retailers' holiday sales and Dec. 26 is always one of the busiest traffic days of the year, according to the National Retail Federation.

"It's a big week for gift card holders, and many retailers will put out fresh spring merchandise for people who don't want to dig through holiday or winter leftovers," said Kathy Grannis, spokeswoman for the Washington-based retail trade group.

Indeed, 47 percent of consumers plan to shop between Christmas and New Year's Day, according to a survey released last week from the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Group. Almost 20 percent of Americans plan to return at least one gift, according to Consumer Reports.

Lupita Munoz, 32, of Lyons, plans to take her family to several malls Sunday to buy marked-down Christmas ornaments, get a jump on spring clothing purchases and check out the sales. Her children, ages 9 and 13, will be eager to spend their gift cards, while Munoz and her husband say they feel good enough about the economy that they plan to spend on themselves.

"I think I may spend more because this year has been pretty good," Lupita said. "I may end up splurging on a lot of things I wanted and didn't get for Christmas. I have my eye on a Louis Vuitton wallet. That will be my treat."

Day-after Christmas sales fill the malls one more time

When setting out on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, it's best to have a well-planned strategy. For the Johnston family of Eugene, the plan centered on Bucky's Backyard.

The toddler playground at Washington Square mall in Tigard bustled with activity Saturday, much like the mall's walkways, retail spaces and parking lots. The day after Christmas is regarded as one of the three busiest shopping days of the year, and Washington Square was doing its part.

For Gary Johnston of Eugene, his shopping plan involved teamwork.

With Bucky's Backyard as the operations base, his wife had set out Saturday afternoon for her post-holiday bargain hunting. Upon her return, Johnston, a financial adviser, would head over to Nordstrom for its clothing sale.

In theory, sons Alexander, 6, and Thomas, 3 1/2, would remain contented throughout in Bucky's Backyard.

More determined shoppers had already descended on the mall and its 170 stores as early as 5 a.m. in search of bargains at anchors such as JC Penney and Macy's.

That shopper description didn't fit Kevin Brague or his daughter, Caitlin Brague, both of Tigard.

Their shopping day began at 10 a.m. at the Crate & Barrel in Bridgeport Village. Then it was on to Washington Square.

"It was impossible to get parking," Kevin Brague said.

As it turns out, it was possible to find an empty spot among the mall's 6,900 spaces. But it took 20 minutes.

He said he wouldn't typically spend the afternoon after Christmas in a shopping mall, but this was a different sort of year.

With a depressed economy, he and his wife set aside part of the holiday shopping budget to hit day-after sales.

Prices "are better this year than they were last year," Brague said.

And sales for Washington Square retailers were strong this holiday season, said Jonae Armstrong, senior manager for the mall. Several store managers said the season has been profitable, Armstrong said.

"They were strategic in the quantities they bought," she said, "and they didn't have to do the deep discounting that many retailers were forced to do last year."

In addition to the Saturday after Christmas, the day after Thanksgiving and the Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days, Armstrong said.

If forecasting consumer whims months in advance of the holiday season wasn't tough enough, last year's holiday season will always be remembered for the snowstorm that paralyzed the region for days and crippled consumer buying. Washington Square even closed early a couple days in 2008.

Zumiez,which specializes in clothing for snowboarders and skateboarder was hard hit last season, store manager Daniel Buck said, and sales had been slow throughout much of this year. Then December arrived.

"It's been a great month," he said.

After Christmas Sales Could Lure Shoppers Back

With Christmas Day having finally arrived, the time will soon come for those who received to hit the stores to spend those gift cards and deftly return those unwanted items.

One of the major advantages of the season is the deals, discounts and bargains that stores offer to shoppers who flood in after the biggest gift-giving day of the year.

Some of the country's biggest retailers are prepared for the onslaught of customers. Best Buy and Sears have both announced sales that will begin on Dec. 26, while many stores are lengthening their operating hours to accommodate as many customers as possible.

Best Buy will have its annual Day After Christmas Sale, with stores across the country opening their doors on Dec. 26 at 7 a.m. The sale also offers free shipping at the BestBuy.com on Dec. 26 and 27 on a number of items.

Major offers at Best Buy include its popular free smart phone sales event, major discounts on home theater equipment and 50 percent off iPhone cases, according to Digital News Report.

Meanwhile, Sears will be offering 20 percent off all Kenmore appliances, along with free standard delivery and haul-away on all appliances costing $399.99 and over.

And although Walmart, the country's largest retailer, has yet to announce its post-Christmas sales, shoppers can expect plenty of reductions at the stores across the country, which are not open on Christmas Day.

After two down years, this year's Christmas season will go down as the holiday Americans decided to shop again. A strong Christmas Eve helped bolster spectacular sales for retailers, and the National Retail Federation predicts spending this holiday season will reach $451.5 billion, which is 3.3 percent up from last year.

This holiday season marks the biggest bump since 2006, and the largest total since a record $452 billion was spent in 2007. The holiday season runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, so a strong week after Christmas could still make this the biggest of all time.

According to MasterCard SpendingPulse, a unit of MasterCard Advisors that tracks sales at 72,000 retailers, Internet sales within the United States rose 15.4 percent, to $36.4 billion, between Oct. 31 and Dec. 23.

Day after Christmas sales attract bargain hunters

Throughout the area, stores were busy Sunday catering to the day-after shopping hangover by offering some sweet deals, often cutting prices in half.

Shoppers flocked to the Deer Park Town Center in Deer Park to take advantage.

At Silk ‘n Things, which specializes in home accessories and custom silk floral arrangements, holiday merchandise was 50 percent off. Store owner Rosemary Pickett said the lines were out the back door on Sunday morning.

“We don’t have much left,” she said.

The day after Christmas is a key sales day for merchants.

“If you didn’t have a good holiday season, you wouldn’t be here the next year,” said Rosemary’s husband, Al Pickett. “It’s that important. We do the majority of our sales through the holiday.”

Pam Arrigo was among the customers at the store, buying holiday ornaments at sale prices.

“I always buy the ornaments for all of my nieces and nephews for next year,” she said. “I like to buy expensive ornaments, and they are half price after Christmas.”

Kelly Mincica of Wauconda also bought Christmas ornaments, and said she intended to hit some other stores, including The Gap, before heading with her 8-year-old daughter, Stella, to see “Gulliver’s Travels.”

“We’re just going to start walking around and see what draws us from the windows,” she said.

At Vera Bradley, which sells handbags and other women’s accessories, customers browsed through items marked 40-percent off. The store’s owner, Deb Morgan, was optimistic Sunday’s heavy traffic foreshadowed a good 2011.

“I hope it’s a great indication of what’s going to happen next year,” she said.

Shoppers also packed Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee, more for the after Christmas sales than to return unwanted or broken gifts. Signs boasting sales of up to 75 percent off lined storefronts from Charlotte Russe to Macy’s.

Alita Davis, tired after a couple hours of morning shopping, was pleased with purchases that rang up cheaper than normal. The Carpentersville resident wasn’t returning anything, or getting belated gifts. The shopping Sunday was just for her.

“Things I’ve been wanting to get, I thought I’ll wait until after Christmas because it’ll be on sale,” Davis said.

JCPenney claimed its biggest after Christmas sale ever with store traffic to prove it. Store manager John McGowan said there were more people at the doors Sunday morning than the year before.

Macy’s saw similar activity Sunday. Mary Jane Ring, a sales associate, said this year was quieter than last when it came to returns.

“Everyone seemed to be pleased and got what they wanted the first time,” Ring said.

Retailers Roll Out After-Christmas Sales

Americans hit the malls Sunday to spend gift cards on items Santa may have missed and pick over the clearance racks, though an East Coast snowstorm will crimp some plans.

Washington, D.C., is expected to get 5 to 8 inches of snow. New York and New England could get even more Sunday and Monday.

“The forecast will tend to keep them at home, it’s not the best day for shopping,” said Scott A. Bernhardt, chief operating officer at weather research firm Planalytics.

But because the storm is hitting after Christmas, the loss won’t less significant than last year’s snowstorm the Saturday before Christmas that buried much of the same area. That one cost retailers about $2 billion.

“People will redeem those gift cards through the week and through the next weekend,” he said.

The rest of the country had few weather problems, though, and retailers are rolling out deals to attract shoppers back to stores.

Strong sales this week would build on the highest-spending holiday season since 2007, which was a record year. Dec. 26-Jan. 1 makes up less than 10 percent of the Nov 1-Dec. 31 season but accounts for more than 15 percent of holiday spending, research firm ShopperTrak says.

The day after Christmas was the second-highest revenue day for retailers last year with $7.9 billion spent, according to ShopperTrak.

Bargains on the most desirable merchandise may be scarce.

“There will be good stuff on sale after Christmas, but what you really wanted will be sold out,” Stifel Nicolas analyst Richard Jaffe said. “You wanted the sweater in blue, the prettiest color, and it’s gone.”

That’s what happened to Lorraine McGrath. The 54-year-old wanted to pick up pajamas for her husband at J.C. Penney in New York first thing Sunday morning.

She was one of the first people in the store but couldn’t find big-and-tall pajamas to fit her husband. She wasn’t impressed with the after-Christmas discounts.

“To tell you the truth, there’s no difference between Christmas sales and after anymore,” said McGrath.

Shoppers were out before the snow at Roosevelt Field Mall on New York’s Long Island, Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian Sozzi said.

“Traffic is pretty solid as people are getting returns done before the storm,” he said.

Some stores were light on inventory. The Gap was missing many sizes of sweaters missing and items from the Gap Body pajama and underwear collection were sold out. Inventory at Guess and Macy’s looked picked over, he said.

Across the country, stores expanded their hours and in some cases bringing in fresh merchandise to sell.

Discount chain Target Corp., which opened at 7 a.m., is offering $10 off video games like “Just Dance 2,” 50 percent off many DVD and Blu-ray movies and 30 percent or more off toys, including Lego sets.

Toys R Us is touting a $50 gift card with any $299.99 Xbox 360 250GB System and a $20 gift card with any $149.99 Nintendo DSi or $169.99 DSiXL.

J.C. Penney had 75 percent off gourmet candy, 60 percent off lambskin leather jackets, from $300 to $120 and 25 percent off kitchen gadgets.

Kohl’s Inc., which opened at 5 a.m., offered specials until 1 p.m. including 50 percent to 60 percent off dress shirts for men.
Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market research firm NPD Group, said strong after-Christmas sales would be icing on the holiday cake for retailers.

“They came into December having made money,” he said. “If December is prosperous, that will lead them to feel confident in 2011, and that’s really what this last week is all about.”

Deal of the Day: After-Christmas sales

Door busters. Early shopping hours. Buy one, get one free.

It's déjà vu all over again for shoppers who didn't get enough buying before the holidays, or for those dying to use gift cards they received. Retailers will be going after your dollars the day after Christmas on what some merchants call the second Black Friday, even though it's actually Sunday.

JCPenney, Sears, Best Buy and Target are among the big retailers opening at 7 am on Sunday; and Target stores will be open until 11 pm. For those of you who want to shop from home, many retailers are extending free-shipping deals that were big before Santa arrived. Almost every store is boasting deep discounts. Unfortunately, expect to find slim pickings on the shelves because consumers reportedly shopped up a storm for the holidays. You might not find the color or size or brand you want, but you're sure to get a pretty good deal if you find something you like.

There's a great story from The Associated Press on how to shop smartly the day after Christmas; and it looks like clothing, especially winter-wear, will be your best bet.

Who said the holidays have to end?