Action Line: January white sales give bargains on home goods, winter closeouts
BY PHIL MULKINS World Action Line Editor
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
1/02/13 at 2:32 AM
The Christmas gift melee is over and Christmas money is now burning holes in the pockets of its recipients. Here you are in January - "white sale month" - when good bargains are available on home goods and clothing from the warmest of winter coats to the briefest of string bikinis, says the Bankrate.com website.
Winter clothes: If you attend the awards ceremony wearing "Clearance Sale," January is your month. Retailers put winter clothes - coats to hats to scarves and gloves - on sale now, says Daniel Butler, spokesman for the National Retail Federation. This being the end of "winter coat season," discounts of 40 percent to 70 percent can be found, he said. Also find cozy winter sleepwear, flannel pajamas and slippers at warming discounts.
TVs & digital cameras: November and December television sales are continuing with price cuts into January, said Daniel Butler. Though discounts won't get any deeper than at the beginning of the holiday rush, they are holding steady at 25 percent to 35 percent on some models, he said.
"An oversupply in the LCD and plasma market is likely to extend the discounts, said Jim Barry, a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. The Super Bowl being next month means big big-screen TV deals through January. The week before the big game, big-screen TV sales will accelerate. Digital cameras will replace smartphones in the sales ads, as manufacturers seek customers in the stores buying the cameras.
Cosmetics, sun-care & beachwear: Out with the old and in with the new applies to cosmetics, making now a good time to buy replacements. Retailers and manufacturers offer "makeup deals" in January, Butler said. You're likely to get more quantity for the money than price cuts. Expect special offers on sun-care products, he said.
Housewares: January white sales are an annual tradition. But for retailers who sell housewares, the discounts have moved beyond sheets and towels, said Butler. Look for deals on dinnerware to blankets to small appliances with discounts of 20 percent to 50 percent, he says.
People are taking down their holiday stuff and moving toward spring cleanup. They want to spruce things up and are noticing things they want to change. For sheets and towels, anything "holiday" is out, said Kerrie Kelly, author of "Home Décor." Customers crave "fresh and simple" for sheets and towels. They'll find price cuts on patterns and last year's brights - 25 percent to 50 percent, Kelly said. Expect carpeting price cuts (20 percent to 50 percent) and area rugs at 70 percent off.
Large citrus and blueberries: Historically, citrus is a "best buy" this time of year, said James Parker, Whole Foods Market global produce and floral buying office. Smaller citrus (tangerines, lemons) rolled onto the market in November and December, but larger citrus fruit - grapefruit, navel oranges, blood oranges - will reach their peak in January, Parker said. They require a little more time on the tree to sweeten. A lot depends on the weather but navel orange prices could go to half their off-season prices. Fresh blueberries are another good buy in January. It's prime blueberry season in South America as the berries start moving by ship, rather than air, for better deals than in December.
Original Print Headline: January is right for white
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Associated Images:
January is "white sale" and "housewares discount" month and many would-be bakers will seek 20 percent to 50 percent discounts on small kitchen appliances such as Whirlpool's $350 KitchenAid Artisan series mixer for $70 to $175 off. WHIRLPOOL CORP. / PRNews
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