Smart Shopping in the Summer & Winter Sales
Tips on How to Bag a Bargain That You Really Love
Jun 9, 2008
It’s that time of year again when the sales are upon us, where hoards of women can be found rifling through bins piled high with reduced items, like bees round a honey pot; and jostling with one another for that must-have bargain buy.
Isn’t it funny how sale shopping brings out the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) in women? Honing in on their hunting instincts, turning into warriors at the mere mention of a sale. It is an interesting phenomenon that women can become something akin to savages at the prospect of bagging a bargain; a sane woman can turn positively irrational at the sight a 50% reduction rail.
Sale Shopping Online Vs Shopping in Store
These days, sale shopping has also taken on another dimension. Shopping online has taken the fun(?) out of queuing for hours in the quest for an “early-bird” bargain. Instead all you need is to sit at home with your mouse.
More retailers are encouraging shoppers to use the internet, giving preference to online shoppers. Saks Fifth Avenue is one such example, which launches its sale exclusively for online shoppers, prior to commencing it store-wide. Saks current Designer Sale is available only to online shoppers until June 11, 2008. If you are prepared to shop via the internet, then you get first pick! Net-A-Porter.com also has a designer sale, 25% of Phillip Lim, Chloé, DVF, Tibi and Marc Jacobs, until June 12th.
The Perils of Purchasing in the Sale
Sale shopping can bring out another side of women, whereby they lose their sense of reasoning, at the thought of getting a terrific bargain. What is it about a sale that makes a woman buy things that she would not normally consider at full price?
In the words of Karen Homer, in her book Things a Woman Should Know About Style, “Just as your dull boyfriend becomes an Adonis when another woman looks at him, fighting the blond in the corner for a pair of orange satin-lycra disco trousers becomes a matter of life or death.”
How many times have you come away from a sale with a bagful of clothes that you honestly never really wear, or don’t feel good in? Isn't it better to spend more on a piece that you really love than on a number of cheaper, throwaway items, which do not give you that same confidence boost when you wear them, (or may not necessarily last as long?)
Tips for Shopping Smarter in the Sales
However, sale time can enable you to pick up some great bargains, especially if you have kept your eye on your favorite stores or label, and have your eye on what to buy. Whether you sale shop online or go to a store, here are some simple guidelines to follow:
- Sale reductions tend to go in waves. There are usually a few loss-leaders, designed to draw people on the first day, but generally most of the stock has around a 20 to 30% reduction. Towards the end of the sale you are likely to see further reductions, and at the final throws, some wacky throwaway prices, as stores want to clear their stock, ready for the next season. So if there is something you hanker after but really can’t afford, you might want to check again just before the end of the sale.
- Often sale stock has already been offered to privileged customers, who have a store credit card, or open to online shoppers. By the time an ordinary shopper walks through the door, they may be last in line for the bargains.
- Do not get distracted into buying clothes just because they are in the sale. Beware of the “bargain” tendency. Ask yourself, would I still want to buy this if it wasn’t reduced?
- Learn to trust the mirror. Just because a pair of skinny jeans are reduced is no reason to squeeze yourself intothem if that don't fit properly, or that you tell yourself will fit “when you loose some weight.”
- Whenever you feel the urge to be tempted remind yourself that the reason the majority of the items are in the sale are that no-one wanted to buy them at full-price! It may be very old stock, or a odd cut or strange fit.
- Sales clothing tends to be fashionable pieces which are likely to become out-dated quickly, so if the item you have your eye on is just coming to the end of its trend, then consider how long you'll be able to wear it.
- Plan ahead. Take a look at your favorite stores or designer labels and get to know when its time for their promotions. If you have a good relationship with a particular store, if you ask, they may give you a heads-up on their forthcoming sale.
- If you are unsure whether an item you want is likely to be in the sale, then look for some tell-tale signs. In many stores, just prior to a sale you may find items have suddenly been grouped together differently, or may have strange codes penciled at the back of the price ticket. It may also be possible to bag a bargain just before the official start, if the product's sale price is already active in the store computers.
- Time the buying of regular garments that are part of your staple wardrobe to coincide with major sales so that you can stock up on the basics such as T-Shirts, sweaters, underwear and jeans. However, don’t buy more than you need just because the price is right.
Be a Smart Sale Shopper
With a little common sense you will be able to use the sales to pick up some genuine bargains. It’s the best time to go for designer labels that you couldn’t otherwise afford. If you learn to be more selective and shop smarter, you will find the usefulness of your purchases will outweigh your mistakes!
