Springfield retailers battle for holiday shoppers with special offers
Consumers who’ve been waiting for Black Friday to start their holiday shopping have already missed some good deals.
Retailers are in the race for what many predict will be limited consumer dollars, said Linda Pettijohn, professor of marketing at Missouri State University, and discounts abound this season.
Wal-Mart is offering 100 toys for $10 each; Sears was advertising “Black Friday Now” bargains in early November; and Target began discounting select toys by 50 percent in October.
The National Retail Federation projects holiday retail sales will dip 1 percent this year, which is not as stark as last year’s 3.4 percent drop nor as large as the 3 percent dip in annual retail industry sales expected for all of 2009.
Retailers were taken by surprise last year, but this year they are poised for a tough season. They have cut inventory, cut operating costs and are offering early discounts, said Pettijohn.
Vicki Shamion, vice president of public relations and community relations for Kohl’s, said, “We are offering incredible savings tools and value throughout November and December so shoppers don’t have to wait until the last minute to get tremendous sales.”
Through Dec. 20, when customers at Target.com spend $50 on or more, they’ll get free site-to-home shipping on more than 100,000 items — 50 percent more than last year, said Sarah Boehle, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis-based company.
