Retailers Roll Out After-Christmas Sales Early

DENVER -- Twenty percent of shoppers haven't even started Christmas shopping yet, according to a Friday survey by the National Retail Federation.

"Retailers will try to make last-minute shopping easier for holiday procrastinators by offering incredible promotions and gift ideas within a certain budget or for a specific person,” said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin in a news release.

The signs were out in Denver Friday promising steep discounts from 20 to 70 percent off, KMGH-TV reported.

"They are the most fantastic deals I've ever seen; I've been in retail since I was 16," said Nick LeMasters, general manager of Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

LeMasters said many stores, who’ve been hit with sluggish sales this season, are taking an aggressive stance to lure in last-minute shoppers.

Many retailers are opting to roll out discounts typically seen the day after Christmas.

"What that does to their margins is undetermined; If the volume makes up for it, we just don't know yet," LeMasters said.

Shopper Ally Douglas said the incentives worked for her.

"Unfortunately, I've been finding it more than an incentive to shop more for me!” Douglas said laughing.

After surveying shoppers around the country, The National Retail Federation said more than half of shoppers have yet to complete their shopping the second week of December.

Discount and department stores are expected to be the top spots this weekend, according to the survey.

The survey showed 43 percent of shoppers planned to visit discount stores and 42.5 percent will hit department stores.

One factor working against retailers hopes to boost sales is a pre-holiday storm that snowed in a large swath of the country.

The storm hits at the worst possible time for U.S. store chains, which are trying to salvage the critical holiday shopping season and lure recession-struck consumers with last-minute deals before Christmas next week, Reuters reported.

Larger stores and shopping malls will have extended shopping hours in the days leading up to Christmas.

"We're hoping to play some catch up," said Rebekah Williams, a manager at O & Co. in the Cherry Creek Mall.

Williams said one-time browsers on a budget she’d seen the past few weeks, are back to buy.

"Now they're coming back with their catalogs marked, they know what they want," Williams said, adding she’s optimistic the weekend will be the boost many retailers need.