Sale Shopping Strategy

Image via bigstockphoto

First of all, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/holiday season! Only a few more days left of 2013, but more on that later.

Now that my family have returned to the UK, and we have started eating up the turkey leftovers (despite me telling my mum there wasn't that much turkey left, on closer examination there does in fact appear to be a lot left. Turkey soup for us all week then...), it is time to turn my attention to the sales.

This is the first year in a while I've actually been excited about the sales. Maybe because I now have a good income again, or maybe because I've had a bit of an 'aha' moment about the clothes I want to wear, and that makes sales shopping a perfect activity post Christmas!

This year I'll be heading to Shopping-City-Süd. which is one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, and is just outside of Vienna. I don't go out there often, but the mall has recently been refurbished and now includes Primark in its roster of shops. While I don't miss Primark per se, it will be nice to have a nose around!

The key to sales shopping is to have a strategy, which will help guide you through the myriad of so called bargains, and the thousands of other shoppers that will be fighting you for them.


1. Make a plan
I am all for spontaneous shopping, and it is true that some of the best things you find are the ones you aren't specifically looking for, but when tackling a large mall for a day of shopping, a plan is the best option. I find I'm a grumpy shopper if I haven't eaten or drunk enough, particularly the latter. I get cranky and despondent, and I find it really difficult to enjoy myself (I am not a big fan of shopping with others either). So for me, making a plan of my route through the mall and what time and where I will eat and drink will help me survive the day without wanting to give up and go home.

Know when and where your coffee breaks will be!

2. Know what you are after, but don't be too prescriptive
Think categories of clothes more than specific items. Chances are you won't find that super specific thing that you are looking for, but you just might. However searching for just that one thing means you might miss other fab bargains, or leave you disappointed and unhappy. And this is supposed to be fun right! Knowing your style aesthetic is key to successful sale shopping, allowing you to make quick decisions about items and move on.

Does the shop look like somewhere you'd normally shop?

3. Target your energy wisely
Don't dismiss stores you wouldn't normally visit, but only if they fit with your overall aesthetic. Often in sale time it is hard to judge the interior of a store from the exterior, as the usual merchandising is replaced by sale hoardings. Go in, scan the rails and make an assessment as to whether further investigation could yield results. For example, if your style aesthetic is like mine and largely involved neutrals, a room full of bright colours is unlikely to be that fruitful. Do a little research if you can (I often find it difficult due to Austrian shops not really having that much of an online presence), which will help those decisions come more easily.

4. Make sure you have your own music
I hate shop music. I hate dealing with the noise and chaos of stores. Sure, listening to my own music might be a little antisocial, but I'll be on my own and I'm pretty good at keeping an eye out for those around me. I shall be finding my good phone headphones and making sure my phone battery is full charged before heading tomorrow, and packing my MP3 player as back up. Music helps create my shopping mood and without it I am likely to get cranky!

Music helps alleviate that moodiness...

5. Make a list
If there are any specific items you want, from specific stores, make a list and stash it in your purse. That way you won't forget to buy them (like I did when I went to IKEA the other week), which is super frustrating! Keeping a list of the types of items you are after as well is useful, as it will help you keep on track.


As most stores sales return policies are usually different to their regular returns policies, it is worth it to take the extra time to try stuff on, no matter how long the line for the changing room is. It is also worth considering whether you would have paid full price for the item, and always keep in mind the quality.

There you go, my tips for successful sale shopping. Happy Bargain Hunting!