Friday, December 19, 2008

The Secrets of Christmas Clearance Sales

The after Christmas sales are a wonderful time of year to get a great deal on a number of items. It is also possible to buy something that is less than desirable. A good consumer is one who shops the sales wisely. The smartest consumer is one who is able to take their knowledge of the item and take into consideration the sale information.

At the end of the year, after the Christmas sale shopping, retailers are looking to unload all of the items that they did not sell during the holiday season. They are also trying to get rid of the returned and exchanged products that have been coming back into their stores. There are also a lot of floor and display models that are available for sale during this time as well.

Inventory Overstock

There are some great bargains to be had with these items. It will all really depend on the retailer and how much of a hurry they are to get the inventory out of the store. These items are generally used to bring consumers into the stores after the holidays. When you purchase these items you can be sure that they are not returns or used items because they are new and sealed inside the boxes.

They are very likely to be a lesser known brand, but they can still be a very good bargain. You will have to be quick because these are usually the first thing to fly out of the store during an after Christmas sale. You should make sure that you get there in plenty of time to get one of these items during the sale.

Items That Are Headed For The Clearance Rack

In January there is a show held in Las Vegas for all of the up coming electronic products that are going to be introduced that year. It is called the Consumer Electronics Show.

The new products are going to be brought into the stores in February and sell all the way through till the summer months. All of the retailers go to this show and place their orders for the new products. It will be necessary for a retailer to make the room in their store so that they can get these items on the store shelves as soon as possible.

The consumer can get a great bargain if the retailer over estimates the amount of the product that they are going to sell. If they still have items on their shelf in February then they will have to clear them out so that they can make room for the new items when they are delivered to the stores.

A retailer will often give a hefty discount to get rid of the older models so that they can get the new ones on the shelf. There may be a negativity associated with the term clearance in a lot of consumers minds. Some people believe that an item that is marked as clearance will be lesser in quality than a new item. Many retailers will stay away from the word and use terms like price drop or instant rebate to encourage consumers into the store. You should also be aware that there is a limit to the amount of items that are priced at this low rate. Once the store has sold out there will be no more.

When you are looking for some great deals, this can really save you some money. Everyone wins in this situation. The retailer gets their shelf space and the consumer gets a great price on a quality product.

Many people are only interested in the latest model of an electronic device. However, if you don't mind having the previous year's model then you can really take advantage of these prices. Just make sure that you do your homework and make certain that the product will meet your specifications.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas Shipping Deadlines Here

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The shipping deadlines for the post office and the two parcel services are rapidly approaching.

According to the United States Postal Service, Monday was the busiest day of the year for mail service across the country.


Unfortunately, if you needed to ship packages overseas to arrive in time for Christmas sale shopping, you missed your chance as the Priority Mail deadline passed on Dec. 11.


The deadline for domestic First Class and Priority Mail to reach its destination by Christmas is this Saturday, Dec. 20.


However, thanks to UPS and Federal Express, you still have options.


According to representatives at Checks N Mail, the mailing service located in the Brickyard Plaza on Mesquite Blvd., packages sent by FedEx and UPS should arrive in neighboring states in time for Christmas if sent via ground before Dec. 22, although delivery dates aren’t guaranteed.


As usual, the next-day options at the two parcel services should work through Dec. 23 in order to guarantee that the packages get there in time for Santa’s Christmas visit.


One of the things that often results in people procrastinating about getting gifts sent in time for the big day is the difficult and time consuming process of preparing and packing the items.


Even worse is the idea that improperly packed presents might arrive in more pieces than intended.


Most of the UPS and FedEx outlets, including Checks N Mail in Mesquite, can prepare and pack your items with professional packing materials to ensure that your gift will arrive without that heart-breaking broken-glass rattle.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Save Time and Money In This Year's Christmas Sale Shopping

Save money with “coupons” when shopping for christmas online

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If you are doing your Christmas gift shopping on the Internet, check to see if there is a Textbox asking for a coupon or promotional code before you click that “Buy” button. This is generally a tip-off that there are extra discount available for that product. If you find such a Textbox, write down the name of the merchant and the product code. Go to one of the coupon websites, like fatwallets.com or couponcabin.com, and enter the product information. If there is a special promotion for this item, it will give you the discount coupon code. Now you are ready to return to the merchant’s site and make your “discounted” purchase.

Try to save money while you do your Christmas shopping

If you do your shopping online, try websites which provides rebates on purchases made through their site. You can save anywhere from two to five percent of the purchase price. eBates.com offers members free shipping promotions and special offers from the more than 700 retail stores they represent.

Try shopping the night before the big sale

Ready for the big Christmas sale on Friday? The top secret is to shop the store the night before the sale starts, Thursday night in this case. Many retailers fill in their systems for the special sale discounts after 5:00 PM the day before the announced sale date. This allows you to take benefit of the lower sales price without fighting the crowds the next morning. Unfortunately, not all big retailers follow this practice, but it may be worth a special trip down to your favorite retailer to test it out.

Ask for unadvertised discounts


Don’t hesitate to ask your seller if there are any unadvertised discounts, special coupons, or sales going on that week. Many shoppers offer special sales for regular customers as part of their loyalty programs. You might have to sign up for the program, but the discounts usually make it well worth while.