Stores are offering more ways to save this year to entice customers.
Get more (and more) for a buck
AOL Shopping’s smart tips
1. Do your price comparisons on the Web. Save yourself the energy of going from store to store by comparing prices with retailers online beforehand.
2. Recycle your gift cards. Got a few gift cards lying around that you’ll never want? Use them to buy gifts for others. AOL Shopping’s Marquette Heaven says, “it’s not blatant regifting.”
3. Use your credit card online. Ok, we know using the credit line is a big no-no these days, but using it online will better protect your bank account against online frauds.
Every retailer is bracing for a rough fourth quarter. With all the discounts being offered in order to lure customers in, what tactics are they taking to stave off financial ruin? We consulted some experts to find out how companies are staying afloat — and what the consumer needs to know to hold on to those precious pennies.
“A lot of the retailers just have a lot less of an inventory,” says retail expert Marquette Heaven, of AOL Shopping. “Right now, store shelves look bare-bones-ish, like it’s the end of the shopping season.”
Other retailers are trimming the fat in less obvious ways. Eric Holmen, CEO of the marketing firm SmartReply, says that retailers are turning to non-traditional marketing, like text messaged ads and online coupons, not only to cut down on costs but to subvert technologies like TiVo, which obstruct expensive television ads from reaching their consumers.
A shopper should know, however, that those text messages and e-mails sometimes come right before a better bargain can be had.
