Retailers Offer Discounts To Stay Competitive

"If it's not on sale, they're not buying it," say shoppers.

The holidays may be over, but if you look around at just about any mall these days, the discounts never stopped.

"If it's not on sale, they're not buying it. I'm not," says shopper Lisa Keichline.

Belinda Gomez agrees, "I don't think I can pay full price for anything nowadays, no, not at all."

That's what has some retailers worried.

The CEO of Neiman Marcus recently complained at a retailers' convention that in this tough economy, customers' mentality has changed, adding "None of us can continue to sell at deep discounts..."

January is always a big sales month.

"If you look across the signage you see today it's pretty much the signage we've had every year. January is Christmas all over again, basically, for the retailers," explains Ridgmar mall manager Tim Stinneford.

But some retailers, reeling from their worst Christmas in years, wonder whether customers will ever pay full price again.

Keichline says, "I think to stay competeitive they're gonna have to keep the sale prices going."

With profits plumetting, some stores are sticking with sure sellers, slashing inventory by up to 30%.

That means fewer choices for shoppers, who say these days, price is their number one concern.

"I've found some pretty good deals and I hope it stays this way," said Gomez.

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