They waited until the after Christmas for the sales. I noticed a lot of overstocked Christmas stuff on sale today, and the Macy's clerk said today was the busiest day of the year, and that was supposed to be the last weekend before Christmas, not the first weekend after Christmas.
In effect, the shoppers have told the big companies "Your merchandise is overpriced and I'm not shopping until it goes on sale". The shoppers exacted their revenge on NAFTA this year which may signal a major shift in spending patterns.