- Can Murdoch Help Bing Challenge Google and Shift the Content Equation?
- HP's Mark Hurd
- HP Comes in As Expected; Is It Time to Buy?
- 9 Stocks That Play Rising Water Costs: Strategists
- Weis' Deal Likely Won't Change Big Money Contracts
- Gold Prices Can Double in 3 Years: Portfolio Manager
- Nov. 23: Unusual Volume Leaders
- Help Wanted—Please Run $4 Billion University
- Apple Comes to AT&T's Rescue
- How Many US Consumers Will Shop this Weekend?
- Tuesday's Heavy Dose of Data to Dictate 'Risk' Behavior
- World's Largest Share Issue Priced at Deep Discount
- Obama says Boosting US Jobs is Top Priority
- Why the Dollar Will Likely Stay Weak for Some Time
- Playboy to Outsource Most Magazine Operations: Report
- General Motors to Cut up to 9,500 Jobs in Europe
- EU Drops Proceedings Against Qualcomm
- Appeals Court Denies Microsoft's Alcatel Petition
MOST SHARED
- The 'Real' Jobless Rate: 17.5% Of Workers Are Unemployed
- Why Amazon Rules Retail
- Wave of Debt Payments Facing US Government
- China Eastern to Complete Shanghai Air Buy by End '09
- Paul: Audit the Fed
- The Social Media Gaming Threat
- Gold Will Collapse Like Oil Did in 2008: Charts
- Prepare For Large Decline In Stocks, Next Year?
- JAL Slides to Record Low on Bankruptcy Jitters
- Lyondell Urged to Consider Reliance Takeover Offer
ABOUT THIS BLOG
|
This blog will look at the winners and losers in the retail space. Who has the right strategy to capture consumer dollars? It also will look for trends in consumer spending and how that will impact the economy.
Text Size 
Take off that Sarah Palin mask and get your shop on because retailers are desperate this year and they've rolled out some hefty sales before the first little pirate or princess even hits the doorbell.
 |
OMG! Big sales. |
] slashing toy prices in October and worries about consumers snapping shut their pocketbooks, this is a very different holiday season."This is going to be an aggressive, very promotional, very early holiday season," said Erin Hershkowitz, a spokeswoman for the International Council of Shopping Centers. "Retailers are expecting a slow season this year, so they're keeping their inventories tight and promoting early."
It's going to be like the promotions you see on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, Hershkowitz said — only earlier. "Instead of just on the one day, we're going to see these kind of promotions through the month of November.
We're seeing a lot of one-day sales, as retailers dip their pinky toe in the sales waters, but there are also a bunch of multi-day events extending into the holiday weekend.
Here’s a sampler pack of this week’s offerings:
In an email blast earlier this week, SmartBargains.com wrote: “Hey, Bargainista, We’re about to close the gates on bargain euphoria. Don’t get caught on the outside.” The email-only offer included some swank deals that were expiring at midnight that day, including $40 for 600-thread-count sheets and a 7.5-foot Christmas tree with 700 lights more than half off at $170.
Women’s apparel chain New York & Co. opted to skip the all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it routine and just came right out and called the season as it sees it: “Take $30 off your purchase of $75 or more during our HALF CRAZY SALE!” the e-mail blast read. Of course that works out to about 40-percent off but the “half” in half crazy was that the chain was also offering buy one get one half off on most items in the store.
Even upscale retailers are getting in on the act: Bluefly.com is offering a barrage of one-day specials, with e-mail pitches such as: “OMG, we just took an extra 30 percent off all sale items!” The next day they had 15-percent off cashmere (For the uninitiated, cashmere is a huge holiday item and you don’t see sales in the category until about December.)
Lord & Taylor’s site is a collage of sales offering up to 30 percent on some items, including coats and gloves. They’re also offering 15-percent off cashmere.
Neiman Marcus is slashing prices by a whopping 40 percent in a three-day event through Saturday.
And, don’t wait for the turkey — some stores are having doorbuster sales this weekend:
JCPenney [WMT
Loading...
()
] is having doorbusters 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, with extra coupons in its circulars for $10 and $15 off a single purchase of a certain value. For the interactive circular, check jcp.com/storeads.
Sears [SHLD
Loading...
()
] is having a “Super Saturday” sale, including 50 to 60 percent off clothing and up to 25 percent off when you buy three or more Kenmore appliances over $399. (www.sears.com/supersaturday)
OMG, if the deals are this good now, can you imagine what they'll be on Black Friday?
Recent Holiday-Central Posts:
- Retailers Offer All the Frills, at Half the Price
- Holiday Office Parties Expected to Be Lamer Than Usual
- Value, It's a Good Thing
- Wal-Mart Slows New Store Openings, Spiffs Up Old Ones
- Coach's Holiday Strategy: Sell Like It's 2010
- Another Kind of Holiday Nostalgia: Layaway
- A diet high in fat and sugar might actually be good for your portfolio.
- Warren Buffett and Bill Gates discuss the economy and other subjects with CNBC's Becky Quick.
- From the AIG&T to the Merrill Lychee, Jane Wells lists this year's fashionable holiday cocktails.
- One shopper explains why – aside from the prices – he gets up at 3am on the day after Thanksgiving to go shopping every year.
- Congressman Ron Paul explains to Squawk Box why he’s pushing legislation to audit the Federal Reserve.
- …you'll want to be prepared. Tips for getting the most out of the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes