The best items to buy straight after Christmas are those that the shops are clearing out, namely the stock that they bought for Christmas. Keeping Christmas items until next year means companies have money tied up in stock for twelve months; this is dead money. By selling those items, even at a reduced price, brings money into the business to buy stock that they can sell immediately to make money to reinvest in stock many times during that year.
Sometime during January, shops in Britain and America do their stocktaking or inventory. They do not want to count all that stock. In these difficult economic times, many shops over-estimated their likely Christmas trade. Television news is full of the fact that actual retail trade figures for Christmas did not meet retailers’ expectations. Straight after Christmas is when wise shoppers begin shopping for Christmas items, gifts, winter and party clothing, household linens and much more.
Artificial Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, gift tags, greetings cards and candles are always very expensive before Christmas and greatly reduced directly after Christmas. Not only will you get a head start on your Christmas shopping for next year, you will save a great deal of money in doing so. Christmas themed tableware, serving platters, tablecloths, and napkins may also be available at hugely reduced prices.
You can also save money in the supermarket. Many supermarkets slash prices on special Christmas foods, such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, meats, stuffing, and other specialty Christmas foods, look out for bargains. Shops always cut prices heavily on tins of Christmas biscuits, cookies, chocolates and candies just after Christmas. Very often, these items have long sell-by dates.
Cosmetic, perfumery, aftershave and toiletry gift sets are often very expensive before Christmas, but after Christmas the shops sell them at knock down prices. If the set has Christmas themed packaging, you can unwrap it and use the contents to make your own pretty gift baskets for birthday gifts throughout the year, or leave the sets as they are and use them for Christmas gifts next year.
Shops and stores always reduce household linens and bedding after Christmas. If you are short of these items, it is best to wait until after Christmas to stock up, because you will get more for your money. Often one sees high quality items marked down to the normal price for medium quality items in post Christmas mark down sales. For example, high-quality Irish linen bed sheets can be purchased for less than what one would normally expect to pay for polyester-cotton sheets in a post-Christmas mark down. You should also watch out for bargains on duvets, pillows, duvet covers, bed linen sets and towels.
Shops also mark down prices on winter clothing, such as coats, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, woollen socks, and boots, after Christmas. Although in many Northern countries, there are still three, or four, months of winter weather yet to come. By buying classic styles, which never date, you can wear these items this winter and for the winters to come.
Do be careful when buying items for growing children, children grow at different rates at different times in their childhood, and you can easily over or under estimate their growth rate, leaving you with a winter coat that will fit a child in mid-summer, if you get it wrong, but that’s a gamble that you take. However, children’s hats, mittens, gloves and scarves are very good value in the post-Christmas period and size is not so crucial. There are also great deals in party dresses and clothing in after Christmas sales.
Shops also often offer electronics, household gadgets, kitchen items, baking tins and cooking items at reduced prices straight after Christmas. If you can wait until then, to replenish your cookware, you will spend less in doing so.
Many shops massively overstock on toys for the Christmas rush and slash toy prices after Christmas. Now is the time to stock up on children’s gifts for the year ahead. However, be careful, this Christmas’ must have toy may be a passing fad, better to buy evergreen toys, those that children always enjoy.
Wise shoppers buy many items straight after Christmas at reduced prices saving money by doing so. Looking out for post-Christmas price markdowns in the shops and online can save you money too. You can stop envying those organized people who have their Christmas requisites long before Christmas, and who always have the perfect gift ready for any occasion and be one of them. You can replenish your family’s winter wardrobe, the linen cupboard, or the kitchen cupboards and pantry at bargain prices, and feel deservedly smug.