Retailers Poised to Slash Prices Further

[Khephra]

In a bid to lure consumers back to the stores for post-holiday shopping, the nation's retailers are set to step up discounting on Friday in hopes of recouping lost sales. But the season is winding up to be only modestly better than a year ago.

Macy's is offering discounts of up to 50 percent to 75 percent on many items throughout the store on Friday, while AnnTaylor Stores Corp. is featuring reductions of up to 50 percent.

But C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group, based in Charleston, S.C., said post-holiday sales will only help stores that are close to meeting their goals.

"If they're far behind, you can't have one week making up for the rest of the season," he said.

more........

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-post-christmas-shopping,0,3801589.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[lcordero]

1. I've gave up celebrating Christmas a long time ago

I'm thinking about celebrating the Three Kings holiday because of the sales:D

[izzie]

2. Let us move Xmas to the annual stock report so.....

good bottom line good Xmas. The Xmas party should be a ball at the drug companies. Are they going to make those drugs in India or China. Is it not odd that no matter what you pay the person to make the item the price never drops to the 'rich' American buyer.Or maybe it does on some things some place but I do not see it.

[terryg11]

3. not uncommon to cut prices on the 26th

many are already sitting on the merchandise for the spring sets and some have got to het rid of that xmas stuff.

I wasn't really paying attention this year, was it that bad for retailers? I thought it was at least an ok holiday season for them.

[cliss]

4. I had a hard time in the stores this holiday season.

It was an extravaganza of Stuff. I was completely overwhelmed by useless stuff from ceiling to floor. I thought to myself as I was walking past aisle after aisle, "there is enough Stuff here to fill every house in my city".

Ugh. And now I'm supposed to get back in there and fight for the remaining Stuff, now marked down.

I think the stores had a decent season, but they all seem to have more stuff to sell at the end. They just overstocked.