I have a feeling that May retail numbers will not be that spectacular. I think March was the big month, then a pretty OK April, and May… I don’t know, not feeling the love here.

I’ve been seeing more promotions (Gap/BR 25% off for example), and all the new arrivals aren’t really flying off the shelf.

Here’s my first prediction on retail numbers based on promotions. Will see if I’m right

WSJ had an interesting article about how “chain-stores are holding bigger markdowns in reserve trying to gauge how long shoppers will wait for better deals to emerge.”

Some interesting statistics from the article, including how more shoppers this year are holding out shopping in hopes of better sales. Apparently “Nine of 10 people waiting to finish their holiday shopping are doing so to get discounts of at least 50%”.

What does this mean for shoppers and retailers? A walk around the mall will show you that there’s plenty of inventory out there waiting for shoppers, and so I am fairly confident shoppers will find plenty of deals around Christmas and in the New Year post-holiday sales.

Of course, there are some items in higher demand that might sell out early and will never go on sale, such as designer brands and of the moment must have items in the size you are looking for. However, if you are looking for generic top or sweater, be prepared for some good bargain hunting in a few weeks.

Halloween was just 10 days ago, but you wouldn’t know that based on all the sales right now in the stores. It feels like the week before Christmas to me!

Sears and KMart are have “Black Friday” sales every Friday until Christmas. Friends and family 25%-40% off sales are the norm, not the exception.

This is great for shoppers who want to beat the holiday rush, because you’ll get great savings and selection without having to fight the crazy crowds and last minute shoppers.

Keys to holiday shopping this year:

• Check for coupons and sales before you shop online or hit the malls
• Even if you forgot your coupons at the mall, just ask the cashier if there’s any discounts they can give you
• Check the outlets for some steals on summer/fall items (if you live in one of the warmer states, or don’t mind giving out of season items)
• Don’t wait until the last minute… that’s when you get frantic and spend too much for something no one really wants
  

We added a bunch of new features and relaunched our home page a few weeks ago, and I am SO proud of what we have! We still need to work on fine-tuning a bunch of little things, but we’re still a two person team and now we have…

• MySales: see all the latest on sale items, new arrivals for your favorite stores all on one page at DealDivine.com/shop
• Price Alerts: hover over a product, select price alert, set it, and we’ll email you when that item goes on sale!
• Tweet this: Easily tweet away deals or cool products you’ve found on DealDivine. We used Twitter oAuth, so once you linked your account, it really just take a second to tweet
• Add products to a slideshow: before you could only add deals to a slideshow… now you can add the millions of products in our database to your slideshow

And this is on top of what we launched back in fall last year…

• Deals. you can create and share a deal, vote on ones that you like
• Coupons. Thousands of coupons updated daily from all the major retailers.
• Slideshows and lists. Make slideshows/lists of deals you like

There are a bunch more stuff we want to do, but if you have any thoughts, send us an email!

We have been working on some exciting new features, and I can’t wait until it goes live! We are still debugging and testing and tweaking. But within the next month, it’ll be out and I can’t wait to get your feedback!

Side note, I have turned off commenting on posts because of spam. Click on “contact us” link at the bottom for our email address.

I recently moved, and was pleasantly surprised that there are savings to be had. From Comcast to furniture companies, I was courted like a VIP with coupons and extra savings. Below are a few easy tricks and tips on getting the best deals on your purchases when you move:

1. Change your address via USPS online
   
   Quick and easy, and you don’t have to make a special trip to the post office to fill out their paper form. Additionally, you can also get access to special coupons and deals that non-movers are not privy to.
2. Wait until you start getting those valuable coupons before making huge purchases like appliances and furniture to save HUNDREDS of dollars Within a few weeks of submitting the address change, I received coupons to Lowes, Pottery Barn, West Elm, DirectTV, Best Buy and other big name retailers. Extra 10% off, $10 off $50+, I had to carry a bigger purse every time I went out to shop for home stuff just so I have space for all these coupons.With large purchases like a $2000 fridge or couch, these coupons save you hundreds of dollars.
3. Shop around for your appliances and large item purchases or wait for a sale if possible…
   
   For some reason, our local Lowes had a lower price on this fridge than anywhere else (online and offline). We saved a few hundred dollars for sure. And in the shopping around process, we noticed that Sears have periodic sales and extra discounts on their Kenmore brand. You just have to time your purchase when these sales occur to save 15%-20% (on your $1000+ appliances)
4. Don’t “move” your cable subscription. Cancel and Sign up as a new customer!If you “move” your cable subscription to your new place, you miss out on all the great deals they offer new customers!Internet special for new customer: $29/month for regular cable lineup for 1 year
   What I was paying before I moved: $70/month

   Also, Check out all your options for Cable and Internet online, on TV, and on the phone.
   With Comcast, the best deals they offered on cable was posted on their website. But if you called or went to their store, you wouldn’t even know of those deals.

5. Keep an eye on your mailbox We keep receiving offers from local businesses ever since we moved. Recently, we even got an offer for free pet health examinations from a local vet (and we have 2 dogs!).

There are LOTS to buy when you move, so definitely take advantage of these discounts.

DealDivine made it to one of the top 10 runner ups to the Startup Nation 2009 Elevator Pitch competition

Very nice to be mentioned. I probably should have practiced/refined it a bit more! And this was before some our our recent brilliant ideas…

http://www.startupnation.com/elevator-pitch-2009

Sales tax in my county is now 9.25%.That’s basically 10%!

Buying online from places without a brick and mortar store in California automatically saves me that much. Or I can wait until I visit my friends in NYC where clothing under $100 isn’t taxed. Oh yes, I do look for reasons to shop don’t I? But it just makes going to Loehmann’s in NYC that much more fun

I need to buy stuff for the house soon and now seriously tempted to purchase most of my window coverings, home stuff, and furnishings online just to get around the sales tax. That and there’s such a better selection online because online stores on confined by limited floor space.

Along with Jim Cramer from Mad Money, I am personally calling a bottom on the real estate market for summer 2009.

Today’s Fed move basically is giving everyone a ~4% 30 yr fixed mortgage. Mortgage is either less or equal to rent in a lot of the markets.

Additionally, people will be refinancing, stimulating end consumer spending, driving overall economy. Confidence will increase. Home prices will stabilize/increase.

Yup, I’m using this blog to make a bottom call on real estate, and proclaiming it as the ultimate deal of the year.