bargains

When it comes to currying favor with America's value shoppers, Amazon is eating Walmart's lunch. The world's largest retailer has seen its low-price rep decline over the past 2 years, while the world's largest e-tailer has soared, according to an online survey.

Over the past few years, Walmart lost its rep for being the place to go for the lowest prices. Now, the nation's biggest retailer is making a serious push to earn that bargain cred back.

Shoppers often leap at opportunities to snatch up bargains or freebies. And companies are banking on that impulse in light of Leap Day, which comes but once every four years. Here's a handful of the leap year promotions you'll find today.

J.C. Penney is permanently marking down all of its merchandise by at least 40% so shoppers will no longer have to wait for a sale to get its lowest prices. The move is intended to take the guesswork out of shopping by offering customers fewer sales and more predictable pricing.

Fast-food companies face a two-headed monster after every New Year%u2019s Day: Diet resolutions and empty wallets. So purveyors of burgers, tacos, fried chicken and the like are getting aggressive, which means means a solid month of gooey, cheesy, melty deals.

Dollar stores are luring a lot more consumers these days, and their rock-bottom prices aren't the only reason: The chains have undergone major makeovers in recent years, sprucing up their dingy digs and adding better merchandise.

After what 2011 has done to our finances, it can be hard to justify shelling out big bucks for a bottle of French Champagne for New Year's Eve. But if the idea of toasting in 2012 with a cheap sham leaves you pained, don't worry: There are plenty of superb sparkling options out there that won't bust your budget.

The holiday season has been strong for retail sales overall, but some chains have still found lumps of coal in their stockings. And as the holiday season winds down, what's bad for retailers may be good for you.

In 2011, shoppers were hot -- sometimes too hot -- for bargains, and a little too sensitive to the day's financial news. Savings gurus Jean Chatzky and JB Orecchia weigh in on the year's major spending pitfalls, and how to dodge them in 2012.

Attention holiday shoppers: Don't feel blue if you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Retail analysts say the best deals are yet to come, with discounts growing deeper as Christmas draws nearer.