4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Holiday Sales

Walk through any department store or big-box retailer and it’s evident that Black Friday has arrived early this year.

Bracing for what might turn out to be the worst holiday shopping season in two decades, retailers like Kmart, Wal-Mart (WMT) and JC Penney (JCP) are trying to get consumers in the holiday-spending spirit as early as possible. This year, deals typically reserved for the day after Thanksgiving are being rolled out as soon as retailers have a chance to clear the shelves of Halloween costumes and decorations.

Kmart, for example, started slashing holiday prices as early as Nov. 2, impressing upon shoppers that's there's "only four weeks until December." The" blue light" retailer is offering 20% discounts on Christmas trees and up to 25% off certain electronics. And more deals are on the way. The retailer says it plans to feature sales on more than 15 electronics items every Sunday through Nov. 23.

“Usually there’s a 30-day transition from Halloween to the Christmas shopping season – that’s disappeared,” says Neil Stern, senior partner at McMillanDoolittle, a retail consulting firm.

The main reason behind the shift comes as little surprise: The shaky economy is forcing many consumers to cut back. According to financial advisory and consulting firm Deloitte, 59% of consumers expect to reduce their spending this holiday season.

“Retailers really have two ways to drive traffic to stores: [By offering] a product everyone wants or by slashing prices,” says Dan de Grandpre, founder of Dealnews.com, an online consumer guide. This year, no super-hyped killer product -- like last season’s Hannah Montana singing doll or Nintendo Wii -- has emerged. So the only way retailers can get rid of inventory is to slash prices. “Going into the season, retailers will be aggressive in their price cutting. The retailer needs you to buy a lot more than you need the product,” he says.

Here's how shoppers can get the most out of this year's abundance of holiday deals:

Take one look at a sales circular or signs boasting "25% to 50% off everything," and it's clear that it’s a buyer's market right now. But that doesn't mean shoppers shouldn't do their research first. While deals may abound, there's always a chance a better one can be found. “The bottom line is look at the ads, but don’t just buy because it’s on sale,” says Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, a consumer advocacy site.

One easy way to find the best deal on the item you're eyeing is to use a price comparison site like PriceSpider, which tracks a product's price history for six months, or PriceGrabber.com, which lets users calculate and compare the total price of an item, including shipping and tax. (For more on which comparison shopping site is best, read our story.) DealAlerter.com, a companion site to Dworsky’s ConsumerWorld, notifies consumers when prices on certain items drop. “If you see something now in stores, and you’re not sure whether you want to buy it, the system will scan the Internet everyday to see if there’s a lower price,” says Dworsky.

Early-bird sales can be extremely tempting. After all, who doesn't want to get the hassle of holiday shopping over with as soon as possible? But budget-minded consumers may want to wait until the traditional Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – to do the bulk of their gift buying.

“If you can wait three weeks [to do your shopping], you should wait because the deals are going to be a lot better than what they are now,” says Jon Vincent, owner of BlackFriday.info, one of several sites that publish Black Friday sale ads before the big day.

The annual news footage of shoppers lining up outside stores like Best Buy at 4 a.m. on Black Friday should be enough to convince consumers to plan ahead. Black Friday deals are typically advertised on retailers’ web sites on Thanksgiving Day, says Vincent. Other sites, like Vincent's BlackFriday.info , bfads.net and blackfriday.gottadeal.com usually list deals at major retailers even earlier than that since they get the sale circulars in advance, scan the ads and post them online, says Dworsky. “These are must-visit sites for bargain hunters who plan to shop on Black Friday,” he says.

If you buy the Guitar Hero World Tour band kit and later see it advertised for less at another store or on sale at the store you bought it from, your credit card may refund the difference. Referred to as “price protection benefit” or “sales price guarantee,” this feature lets shoppers hedge against future price drops. If you find a lower price within 60 days of purchase, and the store won’t refund you the difference, some card issuers will -- up to $250, but usually no more than four times a year, says Dworsky.

You must send proof of purchase and a copy of the ad (with the lower price) to make a claim. But price protection comes with a few caveats; many issuers, for instance, exclude prices found online. (Read our story for more on credit-card protections.)