Post-holiday bargains galore

It’s that time of year again — when the shopping for others is completed and now it’s time to shop for yourself and spend all those gift certificates you got for the holidays.

According to the National Retail Federation, more than 5 percent of consumers will buy a holiday gift after Dec. 25 and more than 60 percent of Americans will be out shopping for themselves.

The general talk among retail industry watchers is that the discounts won’t be as steep as last year when stores were just dying to get rid of their excess inventory after a dismal holiday shopping season. In 2009, retailers were able to plan ahead for lower demand and weren’t left holding the bag.

But there are still plenty of bargains out there. Word on the street so far from Retail Eye Partners, a New York-based retail consulting company, is that promotions are continuing to drive traffic.

“We found malls to be busier than off-mall stores like Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc. as shoppers finally turned their attention to specialty and apparel stores after weeks of looking for bargains and gifts at the off-mall stores,” the company said in a press release.

Macy’s is currently offering 15 percent off all online purchases, JCPenny has a code for 30-70% percent off their items with 99-cent shipping and numerous retailers have slashed their clearance and sales items to even lower prices.

Click on this link from shopping-bargains.com for some of the best sales and clearances going on out there from now through the first week of January.

Happy bargain-hunting!