SHOP TALK : Discounts Help Make the New Year Happy : January is clearance time--when stores ring out the old and bring in the new.

Happy New Year.

Now, there’s a greeting that goes without saying if you’re a veteran shopper. After all, every new year tends to be quite happy--at least in the early, discount stages.

You kind of get the sense that right about now, the most avid of shoppers is doing some sort of cardiovascular exercise, maybe swimming laps around the old Olympic-size pool, or jogging up and down the Topatopas.

January can be a physically demanding month for those who’d rather be sailing.

This holiday season has already seen its share of incredible sales as merchants try to compete for that hard-to-find consumer dollar. But nevertheless, January, as always, is clearance time, when stores ring out the old and bring in the new.

“Everyone wants to clear out the old stock as soon as we can,” said Gordon Jones, spokesman for Sears.

We contacted the corporate offices of some local department stores. Some officials, like those at Robinsons-May, are extremely hush-hush about upcoming deals for fear of tipping off competitors. Other folks, like those at TJ Maxx, are more than happy to give a glimpse at their sale calendar.

There will be sales and various other promotions nearly everywhere you turn over the coming weeks. Here, then, is a sampling--by no means a comprehensive list--of what to expect:

* SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO. (in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard):

“Traditionally, this is the time for ‘white sales’ throughout the industry, and we’ll certainly be in there,” Jones said of the Friday to Sunday promotion at Sears. “Towels, sheets, tablecloths, everything for the bedroom and bath.”

Specifically, he said, shoppers can expect 40% off outerwear for misses and juniors, and on selected men’s pants and turtlenecks. Also look for a clearance sale on discontinued personal care items such as hair dryers and electric toothbrushes, and on tabletop appliances such as toasters and mixers.

“There will also be a preseason lawn sale,” Jones said. “It’s time to start thinking about spring, which means in some cases, these will be the best prices of the year on lawn and garden equipment. There will also be a preseason sale on window air conditioners.”

* THE BROADWAY (in Ventura and Thousand Oaks):

Look for sales across the board. “Items for the home, men’s apparel, women’s apparel,” said William Dombrowski, a vice president at Carter Hawley Hale Stores Inc., which owns the Broadway.

Dombrowski didn’t want to divulge much, but he did say: “We have our New Year’s sale this weekend. Then we’re not on sale the rest of week, and then we transition through January with clearance sales throughout the month.”

* TJ MAXX (in Oxnard and Simi Valley):

First, the bad news. The “off-price” store, which regularly sells brand-name and designer items at prices well below those of department stores, just concluded a red-tag sale.

Now the good news: The store’s first sale of 1994--the winter clearance sale--is just around the bend. Beginning Sunday, the store will mark down winter items in all departments.

“These are goods that have come into the store within the last month. Pretty fresh goods,” said Dawn Griffin, a company spokeswoman. She said the sale means that merchandise routinely sold at what she said was 20% to 60% less than department store prices will be going for 40% to 70% less.

How long will the sale last? “Basically, it lasts until the merchandise is gone,” Griffin said.

Here’s a tip: If you miss the winter clearance, TJ Maxx will be cutting prices again during an in-store white sale, set to begin Jan. 9. (Don’t look for this one to be advertised.) Among the bargains: wool rugs for $20 to $100, comforter sets from $50 to $70.

* MERVYN’S (in Simi Valley, Ventura and Oxnard):

Officials at Mervyn’s didn’t give many specifics, but here are some dates to circle on the calendar. The after-Christmas sale will run through Friday, the New Year’s white sale will run from Sunday to Jan. 8, and the baby sale will go from Jan. 16 to 22. The first two basically involve general and holiday fashion merchandise, and the latter discounts clothing for infants and toddlers.

* MARSHALL’S DEPARTMENT STORE (in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks):

With prices quoted at 20% to 60% off those of regular department stores, Marshall’s people apparently don’t feel an urgency to put things on post-holiday sale.

But what they are doing, company spokeswoman Hannah Hosom said, is making sure that there is a particularly large selection of sportswear in stock for a while.

Leo Smith is a regular contributor to Ventura County Life. Write to him at 5200 Valentine Road, Suite 140, Ventura 93003, or send faxes to 658-5576.