Holiday shopping doesn’t end on December 25th.
According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, 70% of Americans include the day after Christmas in their shopping plans, with most shoppers targeting the week between Christmas and the New Year to use gift cards, return unwanted items, and take advantage of holiday sales.
Retailers are well aware people are looking to exchange their unwanted and wrong-sized Christmas gifts before they forget, and they intend to get consumers to spend more cash while they’re at it.
Make the most out of post-Christmas sales to save money, gather rewards, and even prepare for the next holiday season by following tips from the experts.
Browse the Christmas Aisles at Big Box Stores
Even though most Christmas decorations start cropping up around the 4th of July, retailers will rush to clear them out in favor of new seasonal displays. The holiday items that didn’t sell will be offered at a lower price, including:
Christmas Decorations
Christmas Gift Wrapping & Packaging
Christmas Themed Candy & Foods
Pre-packaged gift sets
Seek out the sale aisles (typically in the back or sides of the store) the retailer has set up with leftover Christmas stuff at a discounted rate.
Look in the seasonal aisles and clearance sections, typically located in the back or sides of the store, to look for further discounted items. The sale rate will vary depending on the retailer, their available stock, and when you happen to be in the store, but you’re likely to find Christmas items marked for 25% to 50% off.
Retailers know you will be exploring as you hunt for discounted festive items, and they will try their best to entice you to buy a few other things. Appliances, toys, clothing, and electronics are often sold at discounted rates and special incentives such as rewards points and in-store credit.
What to Shop For
Not everything will be on sale. Just because you are out shopping the day after Christmas doesn’t mean your groceries or hand towels will be offered at a discount (though it would be great if they were). Holiday-themed items will continue to be reduced daily from the day after Christmas to the New Year.
Bearing that in mind, look for the following:
Christmas-themed items
Winter items like jackets, boots, and sweaters
Home Decor
Gift-like items (colognes, toiletry sets, etc.)
Use Apps for Bigger Savings
The best way to take advantage of shopping deals is in person, down the discount aisles. If you are not one for crowds, peruse popular shopping apps to see what deals are floating around the internet.
Rakuten
Rakuten is a popular retail shopping app. Users earn points they can redeem for cash back after spending money shopping. Rakuten has partnerships with over 2,500 online retailers and stores, making it the perfect place to go the day after Christmas to find sales.
Rakuten features coupons, deals, promotions, and, of course, cashback for your purchases. Since its inception in 1997, Rakuten has paid over $800 million in cashback. You have to spend money to earn it back, so why not reap some rewards if you plan on spending already?
Groupon
Groupon has everything you can imagine, from group vacation deals to dining, including online shopping deals. This is an excellent app for your day-after-Christmas shopping shenanigans.
Whether you are looking for a discounted oil change or even scrambling to get a gift for someone you haven’t seen yet, Groupon is a great place to start. Some cool features Groupon offers include a deal of the day, a local shopping tab to support local businesses, and daily offers for dining and travel.
Ibotta
Unlike Rakuten (which focuses on retail bargains), Ibotta is ideal for groceries and everyday shopping. The popular cashback app can offer some day-after-Christmas sales if you browse the right sections.
Make sure you scan your receipts after you shop or use the Ibotta app to check out when you go to pay. Doing this will help you earn rewards and cashback. Remember to link Amazon with your Ibotta account for more savings.
Use the Week After Christmas Method
The pressure is on for retailers in the last week of December. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, they are desperate to unload the leftover Christmas excess to find more floor space for their boxed chocolate displays. The week after the day after Christmas is when you can save money.
This is when the somewhat ransacked Christmas aisles become littered with 75% off signs and “Buy One Get One Free” promotions. If you want to scoop up a new Christmas tree or grab more wrapping paper, your time is now.
Even though it may seem strange, you can rake in the savings by shopping for next year’s Christmas the day after this year’s Christmas. If you’re organized, the days after Christmas are some of the best opportunities to score gifts for people on your list- if you can keep those gifts a secret for an entire year.
Holiday Savings
You may be tempted to believe the best post-Christmas sales are online. If you want to find a fake Christmas tree for 50% off or household Christmas decorations for pennies on the dollar, then heading out to a brick-and-mortar retailer on December 26th is your date to get some sweet sales. Make a list, spend your time wisely, and create a budget so this year’s holiday savings don’t become next year’s credit card debt.