ByKELLI B. GRANT
Procrastinators, rejoice -- this holiday shopping season, those who wait until the 11th hour can walk away with some serious deals.
This is the last gasp for retailers, says Deborah Mitchell, a marketing professor and the associate dean of University of Wisconsin-Madison s School of Business. If it s still there Christmas Eve, it ll be marked way down, to rock-bottom prices. Typically, about a quarter of shoppers still have some shopping to do on Dec. 24, she says. The Christmas Eve shopping rush may be even more crowded than usual this year as procrastinators and deal-focused shoppers alike head to the mall.
For more last-minute shopping trip planning tips, click here
Don't feel like braving the mall parking lots or the cold, for that matter? Even though shipping deadlines for web orders have long-since passed, you can still find last-minute gifts online. Gift certificates, magazine subscriptions and concert tickets are all valid options (you can email or print them out and don't have to worry about delivery times) -- or you could always make a charitable donation in someone else s name.
Below are some of the stores -- both at the mall and online -- where last-minute shoppers can still snag some sizeable deals:
In Stores
Shoppers don t have to wait until Dec. 26th this year to start taking advantage of post-holiday sales, says Dan de Grandpre, founder of DealNews.com. You ll get the pick of the inventory, he says. Here's a sampling of what you can expect:
| Retailer | Deals |
|---|---|
| Macy s | Save 20% to 50% on regular and sale items. |
| J.C. Penney | Save 30% to 60% on regular and sale items. |
| Williams-Sonoma | Save 20% on all regularly-priced merchandise with the Friends & Family discount coupon. |
| Ann Taylor Loft | Save up to 70% on regular and sale items. |
| Old Navy | Save 60% on sale items. |
| Land s End | Save 35% on regular and sale items. |
| Victoria s Secret | Save up to 60% on regular and sale items. |
| Sephora | Spend $100 in stores and receive a $20 gift card for use Dec. 26 through Dec. 31. |
Online
Discounts won t just be found at the mall. Now online shoppers can even get gift certificates for well below face value using online codes from coupon sites and credit card issuers.
Just keep in mind that virtual delivery doesn t always mean instant delivery. Sephora, for example, has a Christmas Eve deadline of 4 p.m. Pacific time if you want to order an electronic gift certificate in time for Christmas. (Later orders will be delivered Dec. 26.) Wal-Mart (WMT) waits on credit card approval, which could take more than a day.
Here are some sites that are offering last-minute gifts for less:
| Retailer | Deals |
|---|---|
| Amazon.com | Take $5 off last-minute magazine subscription gifts. |
| Restaurant.com | This discount site regularly sells local restaurant certificates at a fraction of face value. A $50 gift certificate to A.J. Maxwell s Steakhouse in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center, for example, costs $20. Save another 50% at checkout through Dec. 31 when you link to the site via Coupon Cabin. |
| SpaWish.com | Save $15 on a purchase of $75 or more when you pay with a MasterCard and use coupon code MCCON815 at checkout. Offer good through Dec. 31. Gift certificates can be used at thousands of participating spas nationwide. (The certificate itself is mailed, but you can print out or send an e-mail notification of the gift.) |
| TicketsNow.com | Both courtesy of Coupon Cabin. |
| Film Movement | Save 30% on subscriptions to this independent and foreign film club, which sends monthly DVD shipments, when you pay with an American Express card and use coupon code AXFILM at checkout. Offer good through Dec. 30. Recipients receive e-mail notification of the gift. |
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