End of year sale shopping

If you are anything like me, you are unwinding after a long and festive Christmas Day. However my mind is already turning to tomorrow and the overstuffed ‘inbox’ of Boxing Day Sale emails that awaits! As someone who believes they would win a Gold medal if ‘online shopping’ became an Olympic sport, here are some of my tips for savvy sale shopping. 

- create a ‘needs’ list of gaps in your wardrobe and/or missing items for upcoming outfits (even if not fashion related, do the same to keep you on track of what you actually ‘need’)

- save items to your store ‘wishlists’

- check which stores you have gift cards for and their balances (think Christmas presents, FOTF wins etc). You may wish to have gift card numbers saved in a phone ‘note’ or in a Word document on your laptop/PC for ease to ‘cut & paste’ at checkout

- if you do not have gift cards, be aware of your budget and stick to it. No ‘bargain’ is worth going into financial debt for

- know your prices. Know the items RRP. What is the lowest price you have seen it on sale for to date? Think about this prior to committing to purchase

- is an item available in multiple places? Keep track in case it goes on sale in more than one store or sells out

- know your sizes. Check detailed garment measurements against your own measurements. If your size sells out can you purchase in the next size up and alter? If a website does not have detailed measurements can you visit another site that stocks the same item (or similar item) or even visit the brands website for a measurement chart

- add ‘must have’s’ to your cart & make sure you are logged in to the store so it is saved and ready to go

- refresh websites you would like to purchase from regularly. Sometimes discounts & sale notifications appear on the website prior to emails advertising sales hitting your inbox. Occasionally by downloading the ‘app’ version of a store you can access ‘app only’ discounts

- many stores are already on sale. A lot of stores will have further discounts/coupons on Boxing Day, then further reductions around New Years. Clearance prices usually occur mid-January if stock is still available. Depending on how much you ‘need’ an item you may be able to risk holding out for further discounts. My motto is ‘if it’s meant to be, it will wait for me’

- check the returns policy & fine print. Many stores offer free returns but may have conditions if the item is on clearance etc

- sign up for ‘restock’ notifications if a site offers this function. If your item sells out remember that this time of year there will be a lot returns to stores. If restock notifications are not available, regularly check your wishlist to see if an item has reappeared

- can you earn additional discounts through clicking through cash back websites or rewards programs? Don’t forget about these (ie Cashrewards, Shop Back, Honey, Flybuys etc).

- are there any additional coupon codes available to reduce the price further or give you an additional benefit such as free shipping? Do a quick search (I often start with Google but some browsers have coupon functions built in). First time user ‘sign up’ percentage off coupons often do not work on sale items so keep this in mind

- if the barrage of sale emails becomes too much or you feel like they are prompting your spending a little too much, this is the perfect time to hit the ‘unsubscribe’ button. Most stores you are subscribed to will be sending out emails this week, so systematically go through and unsubscribe to those that you receive too many emails from, you probably will never buy from or are irrelevant to your needs

I’d love to hear your ‘tips’ or if you manage to snag a bargain! Personally I’m keeping an eye on two or three stores in particular, and also hope that some ‘restock’ notifications come through in the coming days! Happy bargain hunting!

- Emma Scodellaro 25 December 2023