How to Take Advantage of After-Christmas Sales
Business + Economy

How to Take Advantage of After-Christmas Sales

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Despite the fact that many of us spent several weeks seeking out gifts for loved ones, the shopping season doesn't come to an end once Christmas comes and goes. In fact, the days after the holiday are traditionally very busy days for shoppers. Whether you're using a new gift card or secretly making gift exchanges, retailers tend to bombard shoppers with post-Christmas sales. Even at dealnews we posted 50 percent more after-Christmas sales in 2011 than 2010.

What can you expect from retailers this year? We combed through 2011's best sales to offer some predictions for 2012.

After-Christmas Sales Start Early
Before you even think about the sales, it's important to know that, like Black Friday (which edged its way into Thanksgiving), we've expected to see after-Christmas sales start earlier than usual. Last year, confirmed after-Christmas sales began going live as early as December 23. This year we expected more of the same, and since Christmas Eve fell on a Monday this year, we expected a few branded sales to begin as early as Friday, December 21.

It's also worth noting that last year December 26 fell on a Sunday, when people had the leisure of shopping online or in-store. This year it fell on a Wednesday, when many people were back at work, so retailers were likely fighting even more to get your attention. You'll likely continue to see big headlines and discounts, which may be great for getting your attention, but may not always offer the best deals. Naturally we recommend keeping a focus on the items you want to buy.

More Sales, But Fewer Editors' Choice Deals
In 2010, 35 percent of the deals posted on December 26 were editors' choice caliber. Last year that number fell to just 13 percent. This drop in percentage is partially due to the fact that the overall quantity of deals we posted after Christmas in 2011 was 50 percent higher than the previous year; however, the total number of editors' choice deals was still down slightly year over year. So for 2012, we predict that the number of after-Christmas sales will increase again, but editors' choice offers will remain roughly the same.

For comparison, the number of editors' choice deals posted on Black Friday 2011 and Black Friday 2012 remained steadfast at roughly 38 percent. And while a lower percentage of editors' choice deals indicates that after-Christmas deals won't be as strong as the deals we saw on Black Friday, there are certain items that will see better discounts including brand-name HDTVs, Christmas decor, and more.

Best Things to Buy After Christmas
Where exactly should you turn for the best after-Christmas sales? In addition to brick-and-mortar discounts from the likes of Toys "R" Us, Old Navy, and Victoria's Secret, last year we also saw discounts from many online retailers like Amazon, newegg, and 6pm. And while we saw sales across all product categories, it was apparel that rang in the most deals, with discounts ranging from 40 percent to 90 percent off with stacking coupons.

For in-store shoppers, printable coupons took an extra 20 percent to 40 percent off single items. Or in extreme instances, printable coupons took 50 percent off non-sale items. Brand names to look for include Barneys New York, J.Crew, and L.L.Bean.

Gadget fans should take note, too. If you didn't find the perfect tech deal over the holidays, not all hope is lost. Specific categories like brand-name HDTVs and a number of consumer electronics, traditionally see more aggressive discounts post-Christmas than they do in the weeks leading up to the holidays.

Ready, Set, Shop
How should you prepare for after-Christmas sales? First, sign on to dealnews early and see if there are any editors' choice in-store only sales or printable coupons. Then, scope out the online offers throughout the day; a task that's made easier if you set up an email alert for deals on the specific products or categories of interest to you. Happy shopping!

By Louis Ramirez, senior feature writer at dealnews, where this article originally appeared.  

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