Even Target, my hometown discounter, has succumbed to the retail doldrums. It's entirely my fault; they used to get a large portion of my income, especially when they were owned by the former Daytons Department Stores. Daytons is no longer, and Target, well, Target is no longer the store of my childhood but instead has been redesigned as SuperTarget.
For anyone with a long-term view of the TwinCities area, SuperTarget is nothing but Holiday Village, without the massive sporting goods section. Holiday Village was a discount store with groceries and massive sporting goods (gone now, even from Wikipedia). The sporting goods portion is now Gander Mountain and the Holiday Gas Stations are the only entity remaining with the Holiday name.
Daytons and Target taught me to love using credit. I miss Daytons from an emotional standpoint, especially at this time of year. We used to go downtown the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas, to shop the sales. Now? No.
Showing posts with label holiday decorations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday decorations. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Holiday Decorations
Holiday decorations are great! If you're in a place where you need or can afford them. Some things aren't too expensive or are on sale before the Holidays. I think you can buy outdoor decorations everywhere but at your local dry cleaner. That'll be next year. One tactic is to buy one item a year before the holiday and to buy more afterwards when they're half price. Of course, if you go to Walgreens or K-Mart, that can be the day of the holiday.
People like the Griswolds, who are very enthusiastic about their decorations will wait until after the holiday, but not when decorations are 50% off. They wait until after New Year's Day, when decorations are 90% off. And buy everything. I once worked for someone who decorated to excess every Christmas. He bought new lights at 90% off. Since then, more types of ornamentation have developed and I would expect that he also buys those when they're 90% off. Apparently stores don't pay so much for their merchandise because at one time someone who had managed a retail store told me that she only bought clothes when they were 90% off.
While I like a good deal, I wouldn't advocate waiting until things are 90% off because the only things remaining are the things nobody else wanted. I'd prefer to buy things I actually like that fit me. If I found something I liked and that fit, sure I'd buy it at 90% off. I just wouldn't start at that price point.
People like the Griswolds, who are very enthusiastic about their decorations will wait until after the holiday, but not when decorations are 50% off. They wait until after New Year's Day, when decorations are 90% off. And buy everything. I once worked for someone who decorated to excess every Christmas. He bought new lights at 90% off. Since then, more types of ornamentation have developed and I would expect that he also buys those when they're 90% off. Apparently stores don't pay so much for their merchandise because at one time someone who had managed a retail store told me that she only bought clothes when they were 90% off.
While I like a good deal, I wouldn't advocate waiting until things are 90% off because the only things remaining are the things nobody else wanted. I'd prefer to buy things I actually like that fit me. If I found something I liked and that fit, sure I'd buy it at 90% off. I just wouldn't start at that price point.
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