There is nothing I like more than finding a bargain. It seems that there is an ‘offer’ of some sort every week – such as 30 per cent off all pants, or buy one and get 50 per cent off the second.
It’s the nature of retail that businesses offer more and more incentives to get traffic flow through the store. If you don’t, then someone else will.
And, of course, with the influx of international retailers, such as Zara, H&M and Uniqlo, the marketplace is even more competitive. And then there is online, where you can find deep savings.
Usually, the Boxing Day sales signify the end of full-price items for summer. Most retailers will want to quit their summer stocks by the end of January so they can make room for new products in February.
It seems crazy that this happens in late December, when the “real” summer is only just starting, but school is out, most people are on holiday, so there are plenty of people around to take advantage of the sales. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for retailers.
Having worked in retail for more than 40 years, I know that most retailers plan their Boxing Day sales very early in December. That’s when they determine the cost of the markdowns to their bottom line profit.
The theory in fashion and manchester is to go hard on the price, as your first markdown is usually the best. Expect at least a 50 per cent reduction, and in some cases even 70 or 80 per cent, depending on how much stock needs to be cleared.
Because Christmas Day is on a Wednesday, all the price reductions in store will have to be implemented on Tuesday the 24th. Most retailers start to make these price adjustments around lunchtime on the day before Christmas, because the job is so big.
My advice is to shop the sales on Christmas Eve and try to get a head start on the others!
Otherwise get to your targeted store as early as you can on Boxing Day, pick up what you want, and if you are successful in your purchases, then head home for a celebratory drink!
You can be assured that the Boxing Day sales this year will be fantastic. There are many very heavily stocked retailers out there and they will want to convert stock into cash.
I was recently in David Jones’ fashion department and felt completely overwhelmed by the volume of labels and quantity of stock on the floor.
My advice is that if you are looking for a post-Christmas bargain, then you need to do your research well before Boxing Day.
Know what you are looking for. Is it clothing, Manchester, shoes? Is it furniture, electrical or cosmetics? And where do you want to go to do your shopping? Is it a department store or a specialist retailer? Do you want to go to your closest shopping centre, or are you prepared to head into the city?
If you sort these things out early in the piece, it will make your job a lot easier.
Are you an experienced Boxing Day shopper? What’s your plan of attack? Are there certain items you usually target?
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