Post-holiday Sales Help Shoppers

Post-holiday sales are working to shoppers’ advantage, said retailers. For those who worry that purchasing would certainly drill a hole in their pocket, watchers say this is the time to spend without hurting the budget.

With most shopper's wallets and purses hemorrhaging at this time of year due to last-minute holiday shopping, a vehicle purchase isn't always on their buy list. But Dec. 26 through 31 can actually be an opportune time to buy, say consumer advocates and, unsurprisingly, auto dealers, who point to the softening of the midlevel auto market in the last quarter as a reason to visit auto lots before Dec. 31, reported New York Daily News.

"Is it a good time to buy? Yes, if dealers have the car that you want," said Brian Moody, the consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com. "On the other hand, not everyone wants to have a 2007 car as soon as it gets to be 2008, even though it's a brand new car with no miles on it."

“The good news is that you can end up getting a better deal "if you don't mind getting a car that's going to be technically a year old in five days," Moody added.

Jay Rosenthal, the general sales manager at Rallye Acura on Long Island, said that people are not always aware of the urgency that can occur late in the year in showrooms. "You have manufacturers as well as dealers who are looking to hit their objectives," Rosenthal noted, "and a dealer will want to hit those numbers before the end of the year. So that's to the consumer's advantage."

The maker of Acura clutch as well as other automakers devised the holiday sales in order to pull more shoppers and sales, in due course.

Bruce Bendell, president of Major World in Long Island City and in the Bronx, agrees. "What happens is, because of the holiday times, most manufacturers take their incentive budgets and cut them after the first week or two of December. People are just spending money like crazy on gifts for family, and vehicles aren't always high on the list. People try to get through the holidays and they say, 'Let's do it after it's all over.' But each manufacturer has sales goals, and they have to meet them before the end of the year. The manufacturers' competing against each other makes a good situation for the consumer," he shared.

“If you run a business and need a new vehicle,” Bendell added, "You may want to make your purchase this year because it may work for the year-end tax situation. As an example, if you're going to declare part of the vehicle and you're paying sales tax that might be a deductible. Make sure you check with your accountant, though."

Anthony Schifano, general sales manager at Koeppel Nissan in Queens, stressed that while ads for luxury cars dominate television, less expensive models are hot this time of year, too. "In particular, Nissan, Mazda and Volkswagen are offering tremendous specials right now," he concluded. "It's all about meeting sales goals for the year."