Page 2 / News, Trends, Gossip and Stuff To Do : The Right Stuff : A Consumer’s Calendar

Here comes Labor Day--and with it, the Labor Day sales. But do they mean anything anymore?

Once upon a time, holiday observances always meant discounts on something somewhere. But in a retail world that increasingly promises everyday low prices, is one month truly better than any other to score a bargain?

Sometimes, it is--although the lines between the authentic “summer blowout” and the true “fall clearance” continue to blur.

Forget the four seasons. Starting with January white sales and ending with December’s “millennium close-outs,” there are more seasons--and reasons to buy--than ancient Roman calendar makers ever imagined.

This weekend, for example, there are back-to-school sales on computers, “summer finale” bargains on patio furniture, and, for those whose homes are out-of-doors, plenty of pre-Labor Day discounts on pup tents.

But when it comes to chairs for holiday dining, some shoppers still insist that it’s wise to wait for November markdowns. Such careful timing could save you enough to equip your table with fine crystal and china--items that generally don’t go on sale until March.

This week at JCPenney--like this time last year--some of the best buys are in lamps left over from an August furniture “sales event.” But what Penney’s store manager Jeff Paige in Arcadia is crowing about are the 30% discounts on Penney’s own “absorbency-enhanced” house brand of towels. “We’ve made the towels bigger and thicker than they have been in years,” says Paige, “and we’ve added another 10 fashion colors--including loden.”

And what better month to buy loden than September?

January: Sheets, towels, table linens, TVs, radios

February: Furniture, fabrics, carpet

March: China, glassware, dishes, silver, washing machines and dryers

April: Air conditioners, kitchen ranges, paint, wall paper

May: Lines, sheets, blankets, towels, housewares, home furnishings

June: Furniture

July: Refrigerators, freezers, garden supplies

August: Household linens, garden furniture

September: Computers, housewares, home furnishings

October: Rugs

November: Furniture

December: Mattress, fireplace supplies