Indeed, a 2012 Wall Street Journal survey found that such popular holiday gifts as an Elmo plush toy and a Samsung television could be up to 38% cheaper in sale periods other than Black Friday. They’re also referring to the fact that many commonly discounted items can be had at better prices at other points during the year. How the Macy's holiday window display comes aliveīut retail experts warn that Black Friday is not necessarily the best time to shop - and they’re not just referring to the unpleasant (and sometimes even deadly) jockeying among reckless deal-seekers. And this year, many are upping the ante by starting their sales on Thanksgiving itself: Sears, Macy’s, Kohl’sĪnd J.C. Like many retailers, department stores tout their Black Friday specials as the deals to end all deals. (Many other department store chains declined to comment for this article.) has seen its annual sales increase by more than $1.2 billion in each of the past three years, reaching $27.6 billion in 2012. But the “truth is, department stores are a flexible and sustainable format that can change with customers’ needs and preferences.” And to his point, Sluzewski notes that Macy’s Inc. “Observers have been predicting the death of department stores for decades,” says Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy’s Inc., the parent company for both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores. Naturally, department stores and their advocates take a somewhat different view, saying their one-stop shopping model still fulfills the needs of many customers and that the stores continue to be competitive on price. Either way, it equates to a sea change in shopping: “In the past 15 years, department store advantages on convenience and access to high-quality brands have largely disappeared,” says Chris Malone, a retail sales expert who serves as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and non-profits and who’s the author of the book “The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Products and Companies.” In 1972, it posted sales of $78 million, among 51 stores in 2012, sales hit $443 billion, at 10,000-plus stores.Īnd when people aren’t bargain-shopping for staples, they increasingly turn to specialty retailers: Today’s consumer doesn’t have to go to a department store to buy clothing or electronic items instead, they can just head to The Gap or Best Buy, where the product selection and customer service is built around a more niche orientation, say retail pros.

Consider how much Wal-Mart has grown, for instance. ), all of which can offer a wide selection of goods at affordable prices and attract record numbers of customers as a result. ), warehouse clubs (such as Costco) and e-commerce specialists ( The reason for the decline? It has to do with the rise of competing merchants: big-box discounters (think Wal-Mart

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