Dig deep for discounts
So the after-Christmas season is upon us. I, like many, had a few things to return, a few sales to check out and expectations of huge post-holiday discounts.
Friday afternoon, I ventured out to some of the larger retailers such as Walmart and Target. I had returns to make at both and was pleasantly surprised there was no one in the return lines. I expected to have to wait in long lines, herded by store personnel to open return registers, similar to last year. But it is as obvious now as it was a month ago, that consumers were just not spending money this holiday season and therefore now have less to return.
The economy also has another obvious effect. Discounts, on top of discounts. I made today my non-return day and took some time to peruse through my favorite stores to see if the sales were worth the wait. Stores did not disappoint. At Quail Springs Mall, where shoppers came out in droves, there was no mistaking that retailers had intentions of clearing out their merchandise. The biggest discounts hovered around 75% off. Others offered deals like buy 1, get 1 free, 50% off, and 20% off already reduced clearance.
The rub: Shoppers have to be willing to dig deep for merchandise. Shelves were ransacked or bare, clothes were more mixed than matched, and items that were left look a bit … handled. Shoppers looking for Christmas season merchandise may already be too late. Most trees are gone, and ornaments and gift-wrapping will soon be gone for the year.
Overall, sales truly rivaled those of Black Friday, but the treasures just a bit harder to find.
Above: Shoppers kept Quail Springs Mall busy well into Saturday night.
Above: Department stores’ shelves are now bare where seasonal merchandise was stocked and heavily discounted.
-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment