The Halley's Comet of Markdowns

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Stores like Saks are still feeling the impact of those giant sales around Christmas. For one thing, shoppers who remember buying winter wardrobes for 75% off aren't particularly interested in paying full price for spring clothes. For another, some designers resented seeing their work so deeply discounted, and are now wary of big retail chains. All of this means that we'll be seeing more department store bargains in the future, but none of them will equal the Great Sales of '08: “That’s not going to happen again in our lifetime,” says one expert. [NYT]