Happy New Year! Or is it? In the world of deals, January might seem like a bit of a let-down, but it’s actually a pretty good time to find solid discounts for several reasons: 1) retailers will be eager to lure back shoppers who have gift cards to spend, 2) the annual Consumer Electronics Show in early January will drop prices on “old” tech products, 3) the Super Bowl is just around the corner (February 2nd) and that means TV sales and 4) retailers traditionally want to liquidate seasonal items like Christmas decorations. Here are some of the best deals to buy in January:
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
To buy Christmas decorations and wrapping paper. If you’re an extreme planner, then you’ll be ready for the traditional January sales on all the stuff that’s left over. Look for sales at department store chains like Macy’s and JCPenney and retailers like Michael’s and Cost Plus World Market.
Are You Ready for Some Football?
Super Bowl XLVIII (yes, 48) lands on February 1st, and that means the annual round of sales on big screen TVs. Outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the best deals of the year on TVs are in January. You’ll find the lowest prices of the past 12 months during this period.
After CES wraps up in Las Vegas on January 9th and the shiniest 2015 model lineups have been introduced, the pressure to move TV inventory is increased. New models usually start making their way to stores as early as February.
By the way, Samsung and LG have both announced they will be rolling out ginormous 105-inch Ultra High Definition televisions at CES. Samsung touted theirs as the “world’s first, largest and most curved 105-inch UHD TV.”
Speaking of CES…
The little old trade show that takes place in Las Vegas every year and rocks the tech world will also have an impact on tech deals. As with TVs, new gadgets will be finding their way into stores soon after being announced at CES and you’ll start seeing the steepest deals of the older products’ life cycles.
Current generation laptop and desktop PCs typically get a dip in prices in January. If there is one constant in the world of tech, it’s that patience always pays off and the price will go down, sometimes dramatically, after the initial months of release. Only a few products, like gaming consoles, have freakishly long life cycles and hold their prices for years (plural).
Time to Spend Those Gift Cards (But Wait for the Sale)
Retailers don’t count gift card purchases as sales until those cards are redeemed, so they’ll be looking to lure customers back as soon as possible after Christmas and into January. A couple years ago on Christmas, Target offered $10 off purchases of $50 or more made with Target gift cards.
Anywhere between 35% to 45% of holiday gift cards are redeemed in January, which is not terribly high, and retailers are keen to remind their customers to use them — and that means more more discounts for you.
Resolve to Save More
Not surprisingly, the beginning of the new year sees plenty of deals on fitness-related products while people still have the motivation (and the memory of their new year’s resolutions) to spend on their future coat hangers,. (Just kidding.)
Last year, we saw a lot of good prices on fitness equipment, supplements and gadgets from stores like Amazon, Walmart, REI and Bodybuilding.com (including a rare 30% off sitewide discount).
January is not only a good month to improve your body, but also your home. Aside from July, this month is an excellent time to look for deals on furniture because new year models will be arriving in stores in February.
Don’t Forget Deal Alerts
If you want to make sure you don’t miss any upcoming January deals on Ben’s Bargains, don’t forget to set up deal alerts (registration required). You’ll receive an instant email and get the first chance to jump on a great deal before it disappears. And the best deals are gone fast!
You’re also welcome to send us tips or suggestions. Good luck!
- Mike Flacy contributed to this report.