Great Last-Minute Deals Out There
There's still enough time - two days -- for you to get find those last-minute gifts and have them delivered by Christmas. Better yet -- many items are still on sale!
You just need to know where to look.
On "The Early Show" Thursday, AOL Consumer Adviser LaToya Drake pointed viewers in the right direction. She also gave an advance look at an appealing post-Christmas retail landscape!
AOL Shopping has links to some eleventh-hour deals including:
Stila Girl Palette makeup kit for $10. Using overnight shipping, you have until Dec. 23 at 3 p.m. EST to order.
Ugg Slippers at Nordstrom - $84.95. Order by 3pm on Dec 23 to receive by Christmas Eve.
Kodak EasyShare at Walmart. Select one-day shipping at checkout to receive by Christmas Eve.
For the super-last-minute, go for gifts you can actually e-mail or print and pop into a card:
Give Music:
An iTunes Store gift certificate can be sent via e-mail for near-immediate delivery, or you could print the gift certificate on your own printer and deliver it to someone in person.
E-mail Gift Subscriptions, for something such as magainzes on Amazon or DVD rentals from Netflix.
Give the Gift of Travel, in Airline Miles:
Southwest, United and other airlines offer electronic gift certificates you can purchase online and have e-mailed.
Other Popular E-Tailers Still Taking Orders, and Their Deadlines:
You are at the point where you are on the hook for overnight shipping charges (since Christmas falls on a Saturday). But if you have to have the gift there by Christmas, then you have to have it -- waiting for post-Christmas sales isn't an option for some people. The e-tailers and deadlines:
Amazon.com: Dec. 23 12:30pm EST
BestBuy.com: Dec. 23 11:00am EST
EddieBauer.com: Dec. 23 1:00pm EST
Gap.com: Dec. 23 3:00pm EST
JCPenney.com: Dec. 23 1pm EST
Nordstrom.com: Dec. 23 3pm EST
Zappos.com: Dec. 23 4pm EST
Christmas Day Deals
Sales Starting Christmas Day:
JC Penny is making its day-after-Christmas sales available on Christmas Day through its Website.
e-Readers and tablet computers like the iPad were some of the most requested gift items this year. So on Christmas Day, expect to see a high volume of online and mobile traffic as people begin to play with their gadgets and purchase e-books and apps. In fact, last Christmas, people purchased more e-books than physical books on Amazon.
Waiting until Dec. 26 is definitely a great money-saving strategy:
You are likely to find big discounts (perhaps 50 percent or even more) right after Christmas on things such as:
Toys: Clearance sales on holiday toys will start in the days after Christmas. Again, the big discounts might not be on the hottest sellers, but you can snag some great bargains..
Cold-weather items: jackets, scarves, gloves, sweaters, etc. But beware that you may not find the widest selection. Retailers are trying to clear out their existing merchandise, so you are getting deals on what's left over, such as on fall and winter clothes, particularly winter items, because retailers need to make room for spring clothes. JC Penney, for example is, offering sweaters that are usually $17.99 to $21.99 for $9.99 after Christmas. Certain denim and hoodies are $9.99, when they are generally at least $14.99. And juniors' dresses that are now as high as $34.99 will cost $14.99.
Wrapping paper, greeting cards, decorations: This may seem like a no-brainer, but right after Christmas is also the time to stock up for next year on things like wrapping paper, greeting cards and holiday decorations. Prices on these items traditionally drop by as much as 70 percent.
Sparkling Wine: Wineries know consumers rarely buy sparkling wine outside the holiday season, so they cut prices dramatically through early January in order to compete for business, says Matthew Johnson, a managing partner with Simon-Kucher & Partners, a marketing consultant. At wine retailer BevMo.com , a bottle of Joseph Perrier Champagne Brut Royal is $32, which is 27 percent less than its regular $44 price.
More post-Christmas sales:
Target's emphasis will be on its electronics and toy aisles:
Vizio 32-inch LED high-definition television will be selling the day after Christmas for around $399. It is now in stores for $599; video games that now go for $49 to $59 will be $39; knocking $40 off the price of a Nikon digital camera, selling it for $109.99 the day after Christmas; all iPod accessories and Philips headphones will be selling for 20 percent off and popular Nerf, Lego and Star Wars toys will be marked down by at least 30 percent.
NOTE: If you bought the products at higher prices, you can bring them back and get the lower price as long as you have your receipt.
J.C. Penney -- advertising its "Biggest After-Christmas Sale Ever":
Over 100 door-buster specials, harkening back to the major holiday-buying day on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Accoding to The weall Street Journal, JC Penney is targeting teens, who are big buyers and gift-card redeemers the day after Christmas.
Post-Christmas is the perfect time to cash in gift cards:
Gift cards are important for the retail industry because they help drive sales after Christmas and into January. Gift cards were the most-desired gift this year: According to The National Retail Federation, 57 percent of people asked for them. Billions of dollars on gift cards go un-redeemed every year; your best bet is to take advantage of them during post-holiday sales, when their value will likely go a little further, since you'll be able to cherry pick some heavily discounted post-holiday merchandise.
Retailers know most consumers make purchases whose total cost is more than the face value of gift card and may use a gift card to rationalize paying full retail price on items (i.e, "I wouldn't normally pay this much, but since have gift card, it's OK.")