|
From real estate to air fare, alert consumers can find some dynamite deals in the weeks after Dec. 25. Here's where to look. Gift-buyers' spirits are usually high when the holiday shopping season kicks off on the Friday after Thanksgiving -- America's biggest shopping day. But after the presents are unwrapped, it's a different story. Dec. 26 may be the grumpiest day of the year for shoppers, as their mood darkens amid long queues to return ill-fitting or unwanted merchandise.
But the post-Dec. 25 period doesn't have to be so gloomy. After the pre-Christmas crush, many retailers look to get rid of their holiday leftovers. And as the smoke clears, savvy shoppers have plenty of chances to find bargains. Sharon Campbell, marketing director at the Concord (N.C.) Mills Mall, points to unexpected sales as retailers want to cash in on foot traffic: "After Christmas, schools are closed, and people are off from work, so they come into the malls for entertainment."
Sure, buying gifts after Christmas might not leave you with that warm yuletide glow, but think of it this way: It's an opportunity to snag something nice for yourself on the cheap. So, in the spirit of post-holiday frugality, Five for the Money presents products -- and places -- that may have attractive deals in the coming weeks.
1. Houses
O.K., so this is a pretty big-ticket item, and it probably won't fit under the tree. And "cheap" is a relative term, since for the last few years the real estate market has been red-hot. But National Association of Realtors spokesman Walter Molony says this year, amid evidence of slackening, the traditional slow season of January and February may open up deals before the spring rush. During the transition from a lopsided sellers' market, Molony says you may "find something that has been on the market for a long time" as inventory levels grow.
Molony says anecdotal evidence shows that sellers often see what a house down the street sold for and then tacked on 10%, unsuccessfully. After sitting on that for a while, they'll likely become "more realistic" about their prices. Of course real estate is a highly regional market. Molony says the best places to go looking for these good buys are in the Midwest and inland South, where the economy has softened. They'll be much harder to find in, say, South Florida.
2. PCs
Computer prices seem to drop daily -- and the declines just may be bigger after Christmas. David Daoud, an analyst with market researcher IDC, says with more powerful machines constantly arriving, the period after Christmas is a good time for stores to clean house. In the past, Daoud says, bargains have been more limited to desktops, but this year, with portability king for consumers, laptops are joining the PC price wars. "Notebooks have higher margins, but vendors might say: 'All right, we'll get volume,'" Daoud says.
As laptop prices have become more competitive, prices for standard desktops have bottomed out. Larry Mondry, CEO of computer retail chain CompUSA, says his stores will be offering $99 desktops (without monitors). That the big day falls on a Sunday this year also helps lower prices. CompUSA can send out its big post-Christmas circulars that day rather than adding a midweek flier with adjusted prices. Of course, such post-holiday sales are a long-running story. With fewer people at work, Mondry says, "the week after Christmas is basically as good as the week before Christmas."
3. Travel
Getting the itch to escape the holly and eggnog? The trick to getting good travel deals is to leave at different times and arrive at different places from everybody else. The weeks after Christmas and before schools let out for winter vacations offer some tantalizing options. Diane Clarkson, a travel industry analyst with Jupiter Research, says this year may be tighter than in the past but will still present last-minute types with plenty of opportunities. Right now "there are some exceptional deals for going to Europe," she says, for those willing to brave the cold drizzle in London or Paris.
While ticket prices are up this year, Clarkson says online travel agencies "are in a very good position to bundle" hotel rooms with flights. Likewise, higher ticket prices could result in more last-minute steals for unclaimed seats. Of course, in the winter it's tougher if you're going skiing or to the beach. Clarkson encourages consumers to be flexible about departure times and destination. If you plan ahead and are willing to consider several islands or mountains, you'll find better prices.
Henry Harteveldt, vice-president for travel research at Forrester Research, says cheap seats will be harder to find than in the past because airlines have less passenger capacity than a year ago. Still, he notes, bargains can be found on Web sites like CheapCaribbean and the hotel site Search Party. And what destinations may furnish the best bargains? Cancún "will be very, very aggressive in bringing people back" after it took a hit from Hurricane Wilma.
4. New York City
The Big Apple probably isn't the first place you think of when it comes to saving money, but this year could be different. During the week before Christmas a subway and bus strike snarled the city. Combined with subfreezing temperatures, it kept all but essential travel at a minimum. Since the transit walkout came at the height of the holiday season, it hit the city's retail and tourism sector hard, with the total economic impact nearly $1 billion by some estimates.
Mark Jaffe, president of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, was no fan of the strike. It kept people home thinking, "Let me try and buy that online for Grandma Sally," he says. But since the trains are running again, it could be the time for consumers to gain as stores scramble to sell their stock. "There'll be a lot of good deals," Jaffe says. But "I think much of the inventory that was left will be snapped up pretty quickly." He also expects to see some of the city's restaurants hosting special holiday dinners.
5. Christmas Decorations
Did you see an adorable reindeer lawn ornament but didn't want to splurge? Or did a towering inflatable Santa strike your fancy? For those who can't get enough Christmas, the weeks after the holiday are an ideal time to shop for next year's decorations.
Ken Ehrlich, a Christmas buyer for Harrow's, a retail chain specializing in Christmas and garden items in New Jersey and Long Island, says immediately after Christmas the store has huge markdowns on its holiday merchandise, where you can find "anything Christmas." But don't wait too long. Harrow's usually packs up its Christmas gear in January, forcing those who didn't quite make it to wait until October, when the season begins to rev up again.
The situation may be different in the vicinity of Frankenmuth, Mich., home of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the self-described "world's largest Christmas store." It doesn't have a clearance sale, because then what would it sell for the rest of the year? "We're just such a different niche," spokeswoman Lori Libka says. Apparently, you really can find places where it's Christmas in July. |
Shopping Guide