If you're dragging your feet and waiting for some holiday cheer in the form of sales, sales, sales, Sears (NYSE:S) may be answering your dreams. And it's not talking wimpy 10% deals, but apparently redlining some merchandise by an enticing 20% to 60%, according to CBS MarketWatch last night.

In recent months, Sears has been trying all kinds of interesting maneuvers to revitalize its business and get itself some attention. These initiatives -- most perfectly reasonable, the last more than a bit surreal -- include the acquisition of Structure and Lands' End, stocking up on toys, and even a TV show.

However, last week Fool LouAnn Lofton showed us how November looked for the big names in retail, revealing a fickle and unpredictable consumer. Sears didn't fare so well in the mix, with same-store sales dropping 3.9%.

Despite the theory that shoppers both may be ready to spend again and are unwilling to pass up deals, even super-discount venue Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) didn't do nearly as well as anticipated. Instead, upscale retailers such as Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) and Saks (NYSE:SKS) were busting out. Maybe a combination of promising economic news and the nostalgia for flush economic times has simply overwhelmed consumers this holiday season.

If this is the case, Sears may be pushed into an uncomfortable niche. It doesn't offer the luxury consumers crave, and it isn't quite the penny-pinching paradise of Wal-Mart or Target (NYSE:TGT).

Although deep discounts pare down sales receipts, they could do a lot to get customer traffic back to Sears and away from rivals on both extremes. Whether this aggressive play for shoppers will pay off or bottom out remains to be seen as the next crucial few weeks of shopping unfold.

Will consumers be dashing through the snow and jingling all the way to Sears for great deals? Or is this a risky maneuver that may leave Sears short some change when the holidays wind down? Talk it out with other Fools on the Sears discussion board.

Alyce Lomax welcomes your feedback at [email protected].