If you've set foot in a department store this past year you were likely greeted by discount racks and clearance sales a plenty. In hopes of battling the inconspicuous shopping trends set off by the recession, stores from Saks to Bloomingdale's have been marking down designer goods as far as possible in hopes of unloading a lot of extra weight. "The get-it-cheap party for luxury consumers has ended," says Bloomberg. Read: now that profits are picking up and retailers are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, red tagged items are set to become fewer and farther between.

Not to mention, "the higher prices are helping retailers improve their profitability after posting losses during the recession," Bloomberg adds. In fact, "Dallas-based luxury chain Neiman Marcus Group Inc. said margins improved by 7 percentage points in its most recent quarter because markdowns were so much less." So, if you're on the lookout for discounted clothing, it's likely you'll have to wait as long as July and August to see Spring/Summer '10 stock go on sale.

But, don't fret. The raise in prices in some cases still doesn't hit the exorbitant precedent set pre-economic bubble burst. "The average price of a luxury handbag sold at U.S. department stores is rising to $1,800 this year after falling to $1,600 last year from a pre-recession $2,000," Bloomberg says. Meaning, while it's done so within reason, while the recession was all about the sale, the aftermath should see a slightly less exorbitant price tag being attached to luxury goods.