On Your Marks. Get Set. Shop!

Do you remember when the January sales were actually in January? It seems they get earlier every year; first they started creeping in on New Year’s Eve, then savvy shoppers could snap up bargains on Boxing Day. And now that the American tradition of Black Friday has found its way across the pond, many sales have started already. If the thought of fighting through the hordes of sales shoppers leaves you colder than a December morning, then follow our guide to avoid the sale scrums.

Do your research

One of the inevitable drawbacks to the sales getting earlier is that high street stores now start their sales at different times. So if you are planning to hit all your favourites shops at once make sure you check their websites to see when theirs starts. There is nothing worse than buying a full price dress only to find it’s marked half price the following day.

Get shopper savvy and know your stores

Plan

Plan your trip. Shopping in the madness of the sales can be stressful enough without zig-zagging back and forth along the high street. Think about the shops you want to hit and plan a route to avoid the shopping fatigue.

Now that’s our kind of map

Take supplies

You wouldn’t go into battle without weapons, so don’t hit the High Street without supplies. Take a bottle of water to keep you hydrated and snacks for energy to stay at the top of your game; Black Friday proved that sale shopping is a cut throat business and you’ll want to have your wits about you! Finally, take friends. They’ll be more eyes for spotting bargains and someone to have your back if things turn ugly amongst the Topshop rails.

It’s a jungle out there

Set a budget

Be strict with yourself and have an idea of how much you are willing to spend. This will stop you going overboard and make you think twice about purchases. It is easy to get swayed as the prices get slashed.

Look after those pennies

Baby think twice…for the sake of your closet 

Even with all the planning, it is worth being open to trying something new. The sales are a great time to try a style that you might not have wanted to spend full price on. That being said, don’t impulse buy at the till. Keep hold of the item as you wander round the shop and always try it on. If it really doesn’t suit you or doesn’t fit properly then it’s not really a bargain, no matter how low the price.

Ask yourself will you really wear it?!

Go online     

If you really can’t bear the thoughts of fighting through the sales, stick to online shopping. The prices will be the same and in some instances you might find there are better offers online. Thanks to filtering you can also narrow your options to your size and price range making it much easier to avoid “what was I thinking moments” later.

Discount without the hassle. Amen.

Happy sales shopping everyone – stay safe (and stylish) out there!

By Samantha Vandersteen