Super Saturday: Retailers Slash Prices a Week Early

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Retailers rolled out their best deals today, a week earlier than tradition dictates, hoping shoppers will flock to their stores to take advantage of deep discounts on popular items such as toys, jewelry and clothing.

The final Saturday before Christmas, known as "Super Saturday," when frenzied last-minute shoppers hit the stores, falls on Christmas Eve this year, so many retailers are using the scheduling snafu to their advantage and are rolling out their best deals on week early.

"Next Saturday people will be traveling to go home with their families," Dana Telsey, CEO at Telsey Advisory Group, a consumer-focused brokerage firm, told ABC News. "Also, next Saturday a lot of the good deals that you had - it'll still be there but the quantities of merchandise may not be left."

The National Retail Federation found in a Dec. 14 survey that the average shopper has only completed 46.5  percent of their shopping. Big box stores are hoping today is the day shoppers will finally cross everything off of their Christmas lists.

"Some of them are offering 20 percent, 30 percent or 40 percent for a limited time," Telsey said. "We think it's going to be the busiest shopping day of the year."

J.C. Penney is offering 60 percent off toys, coats and luggage. Walmart has slashed its prices to the lowest of the season on popular items for children, such as toys and bicycles. At Sears shoppers will get free diamond earrings when they spend $199 or more on jewelry.

And this holiday shopping season, the stakes are even higher, when you consider more customers than ever have buyer's remorse.

For every dollar stores take in this holiday season, they'll have to give back 9.9 cents in returns, according to the National Retail Federation - nearly three cents less than they would in better economic times.