'The deals are just horrible': Shoppers say a lack of holiday discounts has dampened spending

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

Zarah Reeves waits all year to buy clothes, electronics, cosmetics and dorm furnishings, timing her purchases to the deep discounting so pervasive in the run-up to the holidays.

But this season, brands that once slashed prices 50 to 90 percent starting on Black Friday are sticking to markdowns of “10, maybe 20 percent,” she said. So the 20-year-old Howard University student is buying less, and even made a pact with her best friend to skip Christmas gifts altogether.

“The deals are just horrible,” Reeves said. “I’m looking at these discounts, thinking: That’s it? Never mind.”

The ever-deepening discounts — long integral to a retailer’s survival — are diminishing in the face of rising costs and supply chain challenges, leaving Americans without the big holiday markdowns they’ve come to expect. Prices are higher everywhere, even online, as companies adopt more personalized strategies based on a shopper’s buying history. Analysts and industry insiders say the shift could become long-term.

[LymphocyteLover]

1. I always thought those deals were mostly ploys to get people in the door

and I don't remember such big sales around Christmas time personally

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I've seen this too...I've been getting emails from Subway for their sandwiches, get $1 dollar off...

when you buy two of them...

Oh WOW! A whole whopping $1 off, when they cost me $13-$14 each. Plus, I haven't noticed near as many circulars or advertisements coming in the mail too.

[underpants]

3. I see discounts all over.

[ShazamIam]

4. It is possible to entertain the notion that the buyers have been conditioned to expect higher

prices at the same time their search choices are being manipulated by their personal data catalog, scrapped from the internet.

It seems to be failing as a maximize the profit strategy, I have been hoping more of us just say no on the gifty thing except for
children and those who need the gift no matter their age or income.

[iemanja]

10. Our family gives gifts

Not huge ones, but I'm not going to be the one to announce that I'm not giving gifts to reject consumerism. What a pain in the ass I'd be.

[unblock]

11. even before the internet and microtargeting ads and discounts, sellers used sales to jack up prices

i remember seeing a study once might have been sears or more general than just one store, not sure.

they found that the vast majority of their annual sales were during their occasional "sales", which actually took place a rather large portion of the year.

the "normal" price didn't generate much volume, but quite a lot of profit per item.

one conclusion was that they were segmenting their customer base by artificially creating two markets, one with year-round availability at a high price, the other with more reasonable prices but limited availability. by cramming sales into limited time windows, they leave the rest of the time open to charge more for the people who won't wait for the next sale.

the other conclusion was that this is, in the end, rather unethical because they are deceptively calling the normal price a "sale" price and calling the jacked-up price the "normal" price. i mean, the "sale" price should really be called the "normal" price if that's the price at which you sell 70% of your stuff.

plus, a lot of the people who by at the jacked-up prices are being deceived because they generally aren't informed about when the next sale is and how much the sale price is and so on. if they know and they don't care and don't want to wait, that's one thing. but it's a problem if it's not clear that there's a sale right around the corner.

[ShazamIam]

12. It makes sense, There were also all the times Sears was caught in bait and switch where a really low

price was offered on a low end model then the customer was, sold up, and or found the sale item out of stock almost as soon as the store opened, etc.

[obamanut2012]

13. Penney's did that, too

[bucolic_frolic]

5. He is richest who needs nothing

and is not making the problem worse

[Shermann]

6. I can't say I was impressed with the Cyber Monday deals nt

[snowybirdie]

7. High class problems

Perhaps we Americans don't really need all that stuff for the Holidays? Lets give kindness and peace for a change.

[JCMach1]

8. Almost all Covid support ended, or is ending. Sales will be weak going forward...

[iemanja]

9. I've noticed that too

This year, I had to pay significantly more for Harry and David Pears. Last year on Black Friday, I got them for less than $30 a box with free shipping. This year I had to pay $40 plus shipping.

[Johonny]

14. Im assuming the after Christmas sales are going to be great this year

The supply chain is going to catch up as post-season stuff arrives late and stores need to move it.

Right now heavy discounting doesn't seem to make sense for stores as products are in short supply.