Holiday Sales Are Not What They Appear

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NEW YORK (CBSMiami) - With holiday shopping full swing many retailers are offering special big discounts.

But they may not be all that special.

Think about it. Walk into any mall, or open your email inbox, and it seems every retailer is offering 40 to 50 percent off, day after day, week after week. When on sales ends, another begins.

When asked how often she buys something at full price, shopper Lola Hernandez replied, "It's very rare actually"

A 2015 study by CheckBook.org found several well-known stores offer discounts almost non-stop.

"Obviously I would rather go to a store that has a sale, to be honest, so I can save money," said shopper Victoria Moschetta.

But are the savings real? E-commerce expert Derek Halpern says not necessarily.

"When I look at a price (cut to) and I see I'm getting something 50 percent off, and I compare that price to an online retailer, it's the same price," he said.

Halpern said upscale retailers like Louis Vuitton and Apple never hold sales because their branding strategy is to not discount their products. A majority of other retailers, however, have gone down that slippery slope and at this point can't stop.

"People get addicted to these sale prices and eventually customers won't buy unless there's a sale," said Halpern.

So remember, if you miss a sale, you won't have long til the next one comes along.