Shopper Alert: Now Even the Post-Christmas Deals are Coming Earlier

— -- If you thought it was cynical of retailers to put out the Christmas stuff before Halloween, then wait ’til I tell you about the post-Christmas sales that start before Christmas!

Yes, it’s true, according to DealNews.com, which tracks pricing trends. “If you thought Black Friday sales were good, after-Christmas sales should break a few records of their own,” said Mark LoCastro of DealNews, which posted an article about the phenomenon.

The website says this trend has shown up in its data for several years now. Last year Amazon.com kicked off its post-Christmas sales Dec. 23 and DealNews thinks it will again, so keep your eyes open and some cash in reserve. DealNews says the following categories will see deep discounts:

•Clothing. DealNews says 45 percent of post-Christmas sales will be for clothing. The Gap, Express, Macy’s, Banana Republic and New York & Co. are among the retailers expected to offer great after-Christmas sales.

•Electronics. The editors say Black Friday is usually the ultimate time to score bargains on gadgets, but that 2014 was different. This year, some TVs and laptops were even cheaper the first week of December than they were on Black Friday, so it’s possible manufacturers have room to offer mega-savings for a third time during “post” Christmas sales.

I might have been skeptical of the post-Christmas-sale-before-Christmas claims, but then I heard from another deal-tracking site that’s also putting the word out about it. TrackIf.com says it is “constantly on watch for when and where to get the best shopping deals.” TrackIf monitors thousands of online shopping sites and is even more specific, giving certain days it says you can bag specific bargains:

•December 20 and 21: Clothing 40-64 percent off

•December 22: Tools, $16+ off the average, TVs $90 off

•December 23: Jewelry, as much as $300 off

•December 24: Cameras, $84 off

Of course, the key to using all of this intelligence it to use it with, well, intelligence! Don’t assume you’re getting a great price just because these retail pundits say so. Comparison shop sales in your area and when you see prices you can live with, pounce!

Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.

Elisabeth Leamy is a 20-year consumer advocate for programs such as "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show." She is the author of Save BIG and The Savvy Consumer. Elisabeth is also a professional speaker, delivering talks nationwide on saving money, media relations, and career success. Elisabeth receives her best story tips from readers, so please connect with her via Facebook, Twitter or her website, to share your ideas.