Seasonal sales such as January "white sales" still offer bargains on items that include sheets, pillowcases and towels, but consumers may find better deals on a larger variety of items by shopping around in the current economic shake-up.

Sales have become more frequent and discounts deeper as retailers work harder to attract financially strapped shoppers who also may be surfing the Internet looking for bargains.

Traditional seasonal sales still appear relevant for some companies that follow a fairly structured sale cycle. And when a "season" begins or ends, sales follow.

That means, January offers good deals on weight-loss gear, organizing tools and party supplies because people are in the mood for resolutions and remaking their lives. When summer approaches, cold-weather clothes (including jackets that appeal even in our Hawai'i climate) go on deeper discounted sales as warm-weather clothes, bathing suits, boogie boards, etc. come in on sale.

The idea of "white sales" in January is generally credited to John Wanamaker of Philadelphia department store fame, who pioneered a number of retail ideas.

Biographers said he created the first "White Sale" in January 1878 to help sell linens — which then only came in the color white — during a slow sales period. He is also credited with creating February "Opportunity Sales," and July "Midsummer Sales."

In New York City, the Consumer Reports magazine ShopSmart tracks trends and offers tips tailored to an audience of busy women who want help being savvy shoppers

Sue Perry, ShopSmart's deputy editor, said she's seen sale banners on Madison Avenue this season and advertised sales at high-end Bergdorf Goodman's that used to get by with low-profile notices.

"The rules are changing as long as we are in this kind of economic challenge," Perry said.

Perry said she has seen discounts as deep as 75 to 80 percent: "It's just amazing."

While some stores do big discounts only on the least desirable items, others will slash prices to clear their shelves and make room for the next season's items.

But if you're on the lookout for new towels after noticing the ones you put out for guests last month look kind of shabby, this might be the time to watch for the white sale bargain at your department store or catalog, then look for the cyclical sale plus the coupon in the newspaper or on the Web site.

When stores have inventory they want to move, they sometimes allow multiple discounts, Perry said.

She encountered a shopper with "bags and bags and bags from Bed, Bath and Beyond." The woman told Perry she had waited for the white sale, then used coupons and landed even better deals.

Savvy shoppers should look at newspaper ads, company Web sites, search for coupon codes on the Internet and/or ask for free shipping.

"Consumers are learning how to wheel and deal," Perry said.

Perry noted that high-end stores less affected by the current downturn still follow the seasonal sales.

"I see fine French linen shops having their annual white sale," Perry said. So, if you've got your eye on a special item, "this is the time to scoop it up," she said.

And don't sweat if you missed a sale lately, she said. "We are in for more frequent sales."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.