December 26: Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the store...
Filed under: Shopping, Black Friday
If somehow you aren't weary of shopping yet, boy, have we got a deal for you. Or, that is, have America's retailers got a deal for you. Lots and lots and lots of deals.U.S. News & World Report has an amazingly in-depth article, explaining where to find the best post-Christmas sales. USA Today also chimes in on where to get the best deals on the day after Christmas. And the AP has a piece on where to shop in the middle of the night on the last legs of the holiday season. But if you're too busy mapping out your December 26 Christmas shopping plan to read these, here are the highlights.
- Select Macy's locations will be open for extended marathons of over 100 hours leading up to Christmas Eve.
- L.L. Bean's store in South Barrington was open 24 hours a day for nearly two weeks leading up to Christmas.
- J.C. Penney's is opening at 5:30 a.m., December 26, and offering 100 door-buster specials. Private-label clothes will be 50-60 percent off, and Christmas decorations--always something good to buy after the holiday--will be on sale, up to 75% off. But wait, there's more. I've read at Diamonds.net that J.C. Penney's diamond's will be on sale -- fifty percent off. The entire stock.
- Sears will be having Black Friday-like doorbusters on Dec. 26 from 7am to noon. The store will also offer 75% off Craftsman tool storage chests
- Kmart is offering 40% off all clearance items, which were already marked down 30%.
- Target's offering deals up to 75% off on some items of clothes, furniture, electronics, holiday decorations and the like. Bath and bedding will up to 70 percent off.
- Wal-Mart doesn't want to be left out of the action, so it will be marking down items again, although there were few specifics on which items.
- Crate and Barrel is offering 70% off selected items.
- Toys "R" Us will be holding sales from December 26 to January 3, 2009.
- Home Depot -- 50 percent off holiday decorations.
- Barnes & Noble -- thousands of books, DVDs, toys, video games, calendars and the like from 50 to 90 percent off.
- IKEA has an after-Christmas sale of 20% to 60% off says the Dallas Morning News.
- Bath & Body Works will mark down merchandise by 75% starting on Monday.
Good luck to all those shoppers out there, and happy holidays.
Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist, an author and if you're reading this before December 25, he's still doing his Christmas shopping.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-25-2008 @ 12:37AM
phil said...
holidays are such a scam. it's just a way for the corporations to make big earnings in the 4th quarter. there's no family, there's no caring... just a bunch of sheep flocking because someone tells them that it's "the right thing to do".
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12-24-2008 @ 9:32PM
robin lewis said...
didn't buy anything before christmas won't be buying anything after either
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12-25-2008 @ 12:16PM
Santa Claus said...
I bought my wife a dildo, hope she likes it.
12-24-2008 @ 9:50PM
Dude said...
What a cheap ass!
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12-24-2008 @ 10:13PM
Steve said...
Neither my wife or I purchased or exchanged gifts. We have all we need and want for nothing.
The idea of purchasing something just because of conventional thinking is beyond me. Look at the mess our country is in because we are a nation of consumers rather than producers.
We as a nation are living beyond our means. If you purchased Christmas gifts with a credit card you are living beyond your means. If you have credit card debt you are living beyond your means. If you have a home equity loan you are living beyond your means. If you have a vehicle loan you are living beyond your means.
There are only two reasons to borrow money. 1. is to fund your education. 2. Is to purchase a home with a 20% down payment. The third may be to fund a healthcare issue but you should have health insurance before borrowing money.
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12-25-2008 @ 12:31AM
csaba said...
We are a buying culture. If we stop buying then our economy takes a hit. Like we have now. We all need to find a balance of spending and saving.
12-25-2008 @ 2:14AM
flilguy said...
Wow if you could get Uncle Sam to listen to that you might have something. I'm making payments on doctor and hospital bills. Was I suppose to let my appendix burst and die? I have insurance but still owed over $8,000. I also put all my Christmas on credit cards. Because I bought them on the web, or bought them on sale. My company doesn't give our Christmas bonus out until Dec. 20. I took a gamble and got a good bonus. If I didn't get my bonus I would have credit card debt. I had Christmas as usual this year because next year the economy will be even worse.
12-25-2008 @ 2:34AM
Anti-Steve said...
Yeah except bad shit happens, like poverty. People need those things, like car loans, credit cards, etc., because they physically don't have enough money to live/get to work/countless other reasons. People don't just get those things because they are "living beyond their means". Before you start grouping everybody into a single category you should take the opportunity to live with no money and see how that works out. Take your damn holier-than-thou-attitude and shove it up your ass you fucking idiot. Bitch.
12-25-2008 @ 5:35AM
David said...
Great Advice. You must be one of the rich people that doesnt need a car loan to buy over priced vehicles. Or are you one of the ones that has been bailed out by the government and uses other peoples money to begin with?
12-26-2008 @ 5:28AM
Tara said...
Totally true, although I disagree with the vehicle remark. Most of us can't pay cash down for a new car and a house mortgage. Even with a good job. And yes, our secondary car is a cheap junker we got in good shape and paid in full, but the main car had to be paid off.
12-24-2008 @ 10:51PM
phil magroin said...
got my wife a dildo also..but she was pissed coz it wasn't black !!!
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12-24-2008 @ 10:57PM
katie said...
steve you are a very smart man!
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12-24-2008 @ 11:16PM
Moroveus said...
LOL, well be careful because once you go black............
You know the rest, she may never come back. HAHA!
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12-24-2008 @ 11:01PM
Sal said...
That's very nice, that you didn't buy anything. BUT! I am assuming you are doing this in protest of the holiday season or just that you are flat broke. The point here is these are great deals on items that you will probably buy during the upcoming year whether it's for yourself or a gift. Not taking advantage of these sales is just plain r etarde d. It's buy low, not buy high. There's no way in hell that you will get 50%-75% off on everyday items in June. If you don't buy anything during the year, that's fine. But the first thing you do buy, you will more than likely be losing money because you could have had it for less, MUCH LESS.
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12-24-2008 @ 11:18PM
ann said...
We should be wary of charging and spending what we don't have.
But we can't totally stop buying, as that will also be bad for business and our economy as well. The smart thing is to only buy
the necessary items and definately get a very good deal on them!
12-24-2008 @ 11:59PM
Ryan said...
Actually stores need people to start buying again. As people shop, more items are needed; As more items are needed then more people are needed to produce those items. Living beyond ones means is not in reference to using a credit card or having a vehicle loan. As long as you can pay off those debts then you are fine.
Saving money is not going to save the economy neither is wasteful spending. What going to save the economy is smart purchasing, like is you have money to spend spend it.
Second never borrow money to spend on heath care it a waste.
Remember good credit can be a great thing.
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12-25-2008 @ 11:37AM
Been there done that said...
Retail is doing what they always do, getting rid of the stuff they over bought for Christmas and did not get rid of. They need to free up that money in product so they can buy for 2nd quarter (lawn and garden/ summertime). This is nothing new.
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12-25-2008 @ 2:00PM
JEANNIE said...
STORES ARE TRYING TO SELL THEIR GOODS AT ANY PRICE. REMEMBER EACH ONE OF THESE STORES HAVE "OVER BOUGHT" AND AS LONG AS THEY RE-COOP THEIR INVESTMENT THEY WILL BE OKAY. AFTER ALL, THEY MARK EVERY ITEM UP AT LEAST BY HALF OR MORE. (FROM THEIR COST)
BUY ONLY IF YOU NEED IT OR CAN AFFORD IT. THESE SO CALLED "MARK DOWNS" ARE NOT REALLY.
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12-25-2008 @ 5:44AM
David said...
Another great comment. Two problems. The items being bought are either coming from other countries or being made here by illegal workers from another country. We are a country of consumers, not producers. When that changes so will our economy and not until then.
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12-25-2008 @ 2:32PM
cruisenot said...
Granted, retailers may be facing a challenging time. However, I think most families would be better off holding on to their money and not incurring additional credit card debt. It isn't a great price if you don't "need" it. The truth is that most of us have all the crap we need. Few of us actually really need more of anything. It's not need, it's want. Food, gas, toilet paper, imagine living a year just buying those items. CASH! Piles of cold hard cash is the best way to weather the current economic situation. I discovered one of the best books you'll ever find about finance, "How to Become Filthy Rich on Your Current Income" at www.how-to-become-rich.com. If people read books like this one we would not have the current situation we do.
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