Holidays are a perfect demonstration of “supply and demand” working in real time. So we're told anyway. Halloween is officially over for the year and you'll get your standard 50 percent off sales and if you're lucky something marked down 75 percent.
Many decor merchandise, glassware, ceramics and holiday related inventory is supposed to sell out until the next holiday is up on the calendar to stock the new inventory.
What happens when these items don't sell out?
There are several things that could happen. An item gets “pennied out” and is determined valueless and is sent back to distribution. Another option is the items are actually brought into the back storage area and then will be attempted to be sold during the next holiday cycle. With inflation being a chronic problem. This is ideal. An item that doesn't sell for $10 this year maybe will sell for $12 next year. The same item.
The most shocking option that many big box stores actually could take part in is they throw out the inventory into a compactor that destroys the inventory and crushes it down into junk materials. That's right, an item you bought for full price last week of October will be trash the week after Halloween. This inventory is destroyed and is likely written off as a tax deduction.
The last option is if some of the behind the scenes employees know that certain items are about to get “pennied out” and they wait to buy the bulk and surplus inventory for themselves and potentially sell those items in the secondary market.
As a worker navigating in this system, do you really want to buy something the week you are told to buy it or do you want to be smarter with your purchasing power? Wages and salaries provide you with limited funds, don't give all of it back so carelessly to the companies giving you minimum wage compensation.