Today on MyMoneyLife with Chuck Bentley

Last year’s Christmas shopping season was pretty dismal for retailers, and experts are predicting more of the same this year.

But there’s one major difference, according to SmartMoney.com:  this year, retailers see it coming,

That means you, the prepared shopper, can expect to see certain trends this year.  And to help you get ready, here are the top 3 things to watch out for this year when doing your Christmas shopping:

1. Many retailers will start their Christmas promotions even earlier this year, so don’t wait until Black Friday to venture forth into the mall, if that’s when you normally do your shopping.  Also, expect to see fewer Christmas related items for sale.  Retailers are stocking merchandise that has a longer shelf life.



2. Retailers are also stocking up on cheaper items.  You’re likely to see lots of lower priced items jamming the shelves and fewer big ticket items as store-owners try to move more merchandise and make their profit on volume.  That could actually mean fewer items will be marked down, which leads us to this last point:



3. Stores will likely have carefully planned discount promotions to lure you in, but don’t look for the massive, store-wide markdowns that panicked retailers resorted to last year.

So, be wary of advertising that hints of across the board price slashing and if you see a needed item on sale, go ahead and buy it and then head out to find more bargains elsewhere.

Now, we’re here to help you, and this Christmas season, we do hope you’re able to shop and avoid debt. To learn more, visit us online at Crown.org.

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