Shoppers will now see the best holiday deals
Last-minute holiday shoppers are in luck this year: Heading into the final days before Christmas, some of the best deals of the season are just now hitting shelves.
It could be a make-or-break period this weekend and early next week for a number of struggling retailers scrambling to make one last push to entice consumers to spend.
Many stores are offering door-buster specials, buy-one-get-one-free bargains and perks such as complimentary gift-wrapping. Online merchants are also stepping up their efforts, extending Christmas shipping deadlines to as late as Tuesday.
“The last two or three Christmases, Black Friday and Cyber Monday ended up being the best days to shop,” said Brad Wilson, founder of Brads Deals.com, a website that monitors discounts and coupons. “This year, that’s not the case.”
Most consumers have yet to finish their holiday shopping, with many waiting around for the right prices, retail experts said. So merchants from discounters to luxury chains are responding.
At Beverly Center in Los Angeles this week, dozens of stores -- including Victoria’s Secret, Salvatore Ferragamo and Club Monaco -- touted their sales with large window signs and colorful bulletin boards. Calvin Klein and A|X Armani Exchange offered up to 70% off select merchandise, while Lucky Brand and American Eagle Outfitters boasted buy-one-get-one-50%-off deals.
Bridgid Boyle, 24, said she put off her holiday shopping in the hopes of taking advantage of the hefty deals she has noticed at the mall, where she works as a visual merchandiser for H&M.;
“That’s why I’m shopping this weekend,” Boyle said. “I haven’t even started.”
Still, stores have to contend with consumers’ shrinking holiday budgets and significant changes in gift-giving habits as they deal with a sour economy.
“I’ve had four or five friends call me and say, ‘Let’s not exchange presents this year,’ ” said Mark Governor, a film composer from West Hollywood who was buying holiday cards at the Beverly Center. “I thought it was a great idea.”
At the Grove shopping center in the Fairfax District on Friday, Lisa Taylor, 40, said she hadn’t shopped since the day after Thanksgiving.
“I still have a lot to do -- I haven’t done much,” she said. “Finances are a lot tighter this year, so I’m waiting until the last minute to do everything.”
Even luxury merchants have had to slash prices this holiday season. At La Perla in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza, store manager Kathy Mohammad said the upscale lingerie boutique has had to yield to pricing pressures.
“Normally high-end stores don’t have sales that much, and our clients know that,” she said. “But this year, with everything going on, we did mark down our merchandise.”
There will also be plenty of last-minute specials for online shoppers. Wilson of Brads Deals.com said dozens of retailers will accept Christmas orders as late as Tuesday, including Gap.com and jewelry retailer BlueNile.com, with many offering free overnight shipping either automatically or via a coupon code.
At Zappos.com, customers can place orders until 1 p.m. Tuesday for free guaranteed delivery before Dec. 25. The offer marks one of the latest Christmas shipping deadlines ever for the company, said Steve Hill, vice president of merchandising.
“I think this year, there will be people shopping up to the very last minute, so we wanted to give our customers the last minute we could,” Hill said.
Some of the best deals this weekend will be on apparel instead of on big-ticket items such as electronics, said Britt Beemer, chairman of consumer behavior firm America’s Research Group. But he cautioned that the holiday cheer would soon turn into post-Christmas gloom for the weakest retail players.
“Most retailers are already broken,” Beemer said. “I just don’t know how some of these guys are going to make it after January.”
Although traditional Christmas presents such as clothing and toys have remained popular this year, many shoppers have turned to giving friends and family necessities such as supermarket gift cards or inexpensive gifts.
Even one of this season’s hottest toys, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, are relatively affordable. The action-figure warriors have flown off the shelves at toy stores; many individual pieces cost less than $15.
Next week, experts will begin to have a better picture of how specific retailers performed during the holidays. So far, only one thing is certain: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will be one of the season’s few success stories. According to America’s Research Group, of those consumers who shopped last weekend, two-thirds flocked to the discount giant.
At Beverly Center on Thursday, Danielle James, 36, said she was “more cost-conscious for sure” this holiday season and estimated that she had cut her budget by 20%. Although she didn’t plan to shop this weekend, James said she was amazed at the level of sales at many of her favorite stores.
“It’s definitely a good year for a bargain,” she said. “It’s great if you have money.”
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