What to Buy (and What to Avoid) in Post-Christmas Sales
Traditionally, retail stores can get big discounts on items left over from the holiday shopping season about a week after Christmas. Stores were eager to get rid of their inventory, and shoppers were looking for bargains. But the rise in popularity of online shopping changed the rules and forced the remaining mainstream retailers to do the same.
Now you don’t have to wait for Memorial Day or Labor Day to get the best mattress prices, for example – sales are held all year round. Likewise, after Christmas, discounts aren’t necessarily what they used to be. However, there are great deals if you know where to look – and what to avoid.
What to buy at the post-Christmas sales
First, the items that really cost really good at this time of year are:
Anything related to Christmas and other holidays at the end of the year.
It’s obvious, but for good reason: now is the time to get the best deals on things you won’t need until the 2022 holiday season. This includes wrapping paper, holiday cards, any Christmas decor, party wear – you get the idea. The catch is that all this needs to be stored for 11 months.
Regular products in holiday packaging
Here you can get good prices for things you might need and / or use right away (or give as gifts to people you didn’t have a chance to see before Christmas). This can be your favorite candy or party wrapped snacks (which still have a decent shelf life) or a holiday gift set full of common items like bath bombs, underwear, or nail polish.
Winter clothes
Ugly Christmas sweaters aren’t the only ones on sale right now. As noted by Kristin McGrath in his blog for Offers.com , most of the shops are starting to get rid of winter clothing in January to make room for the new spring receipts. This means that things like thick sweaters, down jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, boots and warm slippers will start to fall in price after the holidays.
Things to Avoid in Post-Christmas Sales
On the other hand, here’s what needs to be conveyed right now:
Floor models
Sure, you can get great prices on floor standing models, but that doesn’t mean they will be profitable or invested. “These items have been on display for several months, which means they have likely run into shopping carts and dirty children throughout the season, so they won’t be in great condition,” writes Emily VanSchmus at Better Homes & Gardens .
Anything related to fitness or exercise
If you are serious about doing more sports in the new year (and not just doing it on the advice of the media and marketers), then refrain from buying any equipment, sportswear or shoes, fitness tracking devices, etc. several weeks of 2022, according to Marketwatch . Current prices are retailers trying to cash in on your good intentions.
Things that cannot be returned
If you’re considering buying something at the end of the year or for a promotion, read the fine print first to make sure you have the option to return if that doesn’t work. Keep in mind that, as with the floor-standing models, grocery stores will try to remove inferior quality waste from their inventory or damaged in any way during this time of year.