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With the end of another holiday season, we've moved all of our shopping coverage to our Money Blog. This blog will remain accessible for archival content, but for all of our latest information about shopping-related issues, please visit us at blogs.consumerreports.org/money.

Drink a toast to good value

There's still time to pick up a great sparkling wine for your New Year's Eve celebration, and some of our top picks are available for as little as $10. In our tests, we found that "France" on the label doesn't always mean great bubbly in the glass. Our top two sparkling wines are produced in California. Several of the lower-rated products, including one of the most expensive, varied in quality from bottle to bottle.

Our Top 10 tips for Reboxing Day

If you're planning to spend much of the next week returning gifts, you're not alone. Twenty-one percent of respondents to a recent poll by the Consumer Reports National Research Center said that they returned at least one holiday gift last year; 9 percent returned three or more. To help you navigate the complex maze of issues related to gift returns, we've created this guide to what we're officially declaring Reboxing Day — the day you start reboxing those unwanted gifts and hauling them back to the store. Follow these tips, and you may just be on your way to a week of happy returns.

•  Keep those gift receipts. They're vital for many of the other tips listed below (and while you're at it, make a mental note to include gift receipts with the goodies you hand out next year).

•  Don't be surprised if you're turned away if you don't have a receipt. Many stores have gotten stricter about accepting returns without a valid receipt. In addition, new tracking software is enabling many large retailers to keep tabs on individuals' return behavior. If you've returned goods too often within a specified time period or habitually seek to return merchandise without a receipt, you could be denied. (If you think there's an error, clear your name by contacting the Return Exchange, a company that monitors returns for retailers, at returnactivityreport@thereturnexchange.com.)

•  Don't expect a cash refund. Stores are not obligated to give you your money back, even with a proper receipt. Your refund can come in the form of store credit or gift card.

•  Use that receipt to make sure you get the full price. If you're lucky enough to be able to make a return without a receipt, you'll probably get the lowest price the item sold for, which may include markdowns.

• Try to recoup shipping charges. Some generous e-tailers are willing to provide prepaid mailers to return a sweater or pair of shoes that doesn't fit, but they don't generally broadcast the news. Be sure to read the fine print on the returns page, or ask when you call for a return authorization number.

Last-second gift guide: What you can buy right now

If you can read this, you're too close. Too close to the deadline for holiday shopping, that is. But, of course, it's never too late, if you're creative. Here are a few ideas if you've just checked the calendar and realized that St. Nick has come and gone, and the stockings you're expected to fill are still empty:

Video Stores - Christmas has become a popular day to go to the movies, and the big video chains want a piece of that. If there's a Blockbuster or Hollywood Video store near you, chances are it's open at some point today. You should be able to find at least a handful of good DVDs and video games available before you sit down for Christmas dinner.

Last-minute shopping tips from CR's Amanda Walker

If, like 24 percent of the respondents to a recent CR survey, you've waited until now to shop, a harsh reality may be setting in: With only a couple of days to go before Christmas, your choices can be fairly limited (sorry; time to give up on the Wii until next year). Fear not. CR's Amanda Walker is her with some great ideas for last-minute shoppers, and some early tips to help with your post-holiday returns. Click on the image to catch a video of Amanda sharing some of our favorite tips.

More CR picks: Last-minute GPS deals

It's no secret that portable GPS systems are among the most popular gifts this holiday season. Which means that it's a good bet that someone on your gift list wants one. If that's the case, we're here to help. We've Rated many of the leading models (Ratings are available to subscribers), and have also compiled a list of some of the best GPS deals at leading retailers, which you can find here. And if you're still not sure what features you need to consider when buying a GPS, click the image above to watch our video shopping guide.

It's a dog's life around the holidays

Americans love their pets and the holidays are a chance to prove that. A recent Harris Interactive poll reveals that almost two-thirds (65 percent) of pet owners have bought their pet a holiday gift. What's even more surprising is that over one-third (37 percent) have also bought a their pet a birthday present.

Dogs make out like bandits. Not only are dog owners slightly more likely (93 percent) than cat owners (89 percent) to consider their pets members of their family, but dogs get more presents than cats do.  Most  (71 percent) of dog owners have bought their pet a holiday gift, compared to 63 percent of cat owners. Canines also get more birthday presents; 42 percent of dog owners have bought their pet a birthday gift, compared to 33 percent for  cat owners. The upside to being a cat is that you are more likely to be allowed on to the family bed to sleep and that you are less likely to be wrestled into an outfit;  23 percent of dog owners have dressed their animal up in clothing while only 14 percent of cat owners have done the same.

LED Lights: The video

 

We've already given you our take on whether LED lights are a good choice for your holiday decor. Now, check out our exclusive video and decide for yourself whether the energy-efficient bulbs are a bright idea for your home.

Ready for Christmas? Not yet, and dreading the debt

Christmas is only a week away, but even shoppers who have not yet finished buying their gifts are looking beyond the holiday to when they plan to return (or pass along) presents, buy gifts for themselves and start chipping away at their credit-card debt. A survey conducted earlier this month by Consumer Reports National Research Center indicates that there will be a rash of last-minute and post-holiday shopping this year. And some consumers expect it to take months to pay for their largess.

Christmas countdown
Nearly one-quarter of consumers (24 percent) anticipate not completing their holiday shopping until December 23rd or later and one in 10 don't expect to be done until Christmas Eve. Five percent of respondents plan to finish their gift shopping after Christmas—compared to the 19 percent who are already done.

When they shop, those surveyed say they patronize such mass merchandisers as Target and Wal-Mart, pay cash and watch their spending. Holiday shoppers intend to give an average of 13 gifts this season, down one from last year. They expect to spend an average of $763 for those gifts with only 16 percent of shoppers saying they plan to spend more this year than last. More than half plan to spend the same and 29 percent plan to spend less.

Efforts to keep spending in check may account for the increase in respondents—53 percent compared to 46 percent last year—who say they find their best deals at mass merchandisers. Since last year, expectations of getting deals have fallen for every other category of retailer including department stores (Macy's, Sears), discount stores (TJ Maxx, Marshalls), online retailers, outlet stores and big-box stores (Sam's, Costco).

This year most shoppers are opting to pay cash for their purchases—79 percent. Use of credit cards has fallen from 48 percent to 45 percent. And fewer folks are using debit cards—40 percent compared to last year's 46 percent.

Online deadline
With shopping and shipping days waning, some consumers still plan to make online purchases. Of those, 95 percent expect to wrap up their purchases by December 22. After this date, problems with gifts arriving in time for Christmas are more likely. Still, four percent of online shoppers admit their shopping will slip past the 22nd.

Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of last-minute online shoppers will pay extra for expedited delivery, a decrease from last year when 31 percent of shoppers paid the extra cost. And 42 percent of online shoppers said they order items they had not intended to buy to qualify for free shipping offers or other discounts.

Nintendo Wii: How to give one this holiday

If you want to put a Wii under the tree this year, you can still do it, if you're willing to brave early-morning lines, high prices or the disappointed look you'll get when handing over a virtual gaming console. CR's Paul Eng outlines the options, which essentially include shelling out $400 or more for a "bundle" including accessories and games that you may or may not want; picking up a Wii gift card that guarantees a unit in January; or lining up in frigid pre-dawn temperatures in front of New York's Nintendo World store and waiting for the doors to open. Eng did just that earlier this week, and reports that he managed to pick up a unit for $250 after waiting a mere three hours. But don't assume you'll get off as easily; Eng reports that, on his foray, at least one intrepid soul had begun his wait at 8:00 the previous evening, and as December 25th gets ever closer, more Wii-wishers may find themselves joining that late-night crowd.
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