Shoppers Getting Used to Slash Pricing

Retailers fear discounting changing behavior.

Retail sales are expected to be at the weakest level since 1969. Meanwhile shoppers are experiencing deflation boredom, saying 50% discounts are not bargains anymore.

"Forty to 50 percent used to excite me," the 43-year-old writer said. "Now, I want at least 70 percent." Turner says she has taken advantage of 75 percent discounts on children's clothes in recent weeks and is willing to wait to get the same type of deals in the coming months.

Consumers across the spectrum have been holding back. Many retailers are expected to report sales declines of more than 10 percent for December at established stores, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The overall December tally is expected to fall 1 percent compared to the same month last year, meaning the combined November-December period is likely to drop 1.5 percent to 2 percent _ making it the weakest holiday season since at least 1969, when the index began.

Read the full story at the Washington Post