Twice a year shoppers from all over the world are caught by major excitement for shopping online on super tempting discounts! Prices of coveted designer items fall by 70% or more and fashionistas spend hours on the web transferring whole wishlists to their virtual shopping bags. Famous online stores such as Net-a-Porter.com, MyTheresa.com, MatchesFashion.com, LuisaViaRoma.com, NeimanMarcus.com, and SaksOff5th.com, are these days important distractions to our daily routine. Favorite style treasures are selling out fast and a tremendous increase in traffic make even the most well-prepared shopping platforms to slow or crush down. I was recently felt trapped in such a situation, and in many ways it was a very educational experience. While waiting for my order to complete, a strong desire to uncover the secrets of shopping smartly, under such pressure, was taking me over. I scrutinized the whole challenge and made some useful assumptions/conclusions that would like to share with you!
1. Grasp the actual meaning of a wishlist. It sharply differs from you shopping bag. Collecting what you would wish to have means that you are adding to this list all things you are in love with, not only those you can afford. Set up and update this list of dream items, way before the sales. This is a matter of proper time-management. When clearance comes, you will already know which items you are interested in and your only task will be comparing prices from a small pool of desirables and pick those ones that clicked you most. The actual move from the list to the cart will take seconds and the selection process will be proven a piece of cake! As you might finally realize, final reductions will make you afford way more ‘treasures’ than you originally estimated!
2. Stay within your budget. Exceeding it will mean an annoying shortage later, as well as a sense of guilt for buying too many, often unnecessary things. During my latest clearance shopping spree I picked pieces that fill in the gaps of my wardrobe, complement existing looks, as well as dream items that Net-a-Porter made affordable! I ordered firstly those from the ‘low stock’ group and the ‘last pieces’. I went after the best deals; those that are the nearest to a ‘gift’! To be honest I focused on the 70-80% section. But somehow, I maintained a clear perspective of what’s available and why is it sold at such a low price. I picked for example a ‘last piece’ with just a 30% reduction, because it was a 100% silk long skirt (with an adorable designer print) at an extremely reasonable price. One way or another, what you get during clearance has to be value-for-money!
3. Be flexible and open-minded. The website was almost crushing down and in-between some of the items were selling out. I didn’t quit; just waited for each page to reload and tried to add to my cart as many useful and worthy items as possible. I checked out once to secure my first round of buys, and till the end of the day I ordered thrice. I payed shipping fees thrice too, but with an average 75% reduction on my items, it was really worth it! And since I wasn’t that much in a hurry, I chose ‘standard’ as opposed to express shipping service.
4. Maintain an eclectic approach. Do not limit yourself to one website but select a group of online stores that best serve your needs. Make wishlists on all 4-5 selected e-boutiques and compare prices between similar or same products. You might find the same object at a lower price elsewhere!
5. Keep an eye. You will be watching your wishlist around the clock through your smartphone or tablet, or you can just follow notifications for ‘low stock’ items. One is for sure: when clearance hits, you can’t easily fall asleep!
6. Avoid repetitions and exaggerations. They only make you feel bad — shamed or bored. Do not get another red midi skirt or LBD, since you’ve got plenty so far, even if they really give it to you for free!
7. Stay true to your personal style. Sometimes designer items available at really low prices are those that are hard-to-wear by anybody — probably showpieces or quirky, edgy staff for daring fashionistas. It might be Rick Owens, Alexander McQueen or Stella McCartney, but if it isn’t 100% YOU, better skip it!
These are the principles — except for the first one that I adopted lately — that I regularly follow during the sales. Getting gradually wiser and more disciplined regarding my shopping, makes me feel happier and stronger. Hope I helped you too, and wish you Good Luck!!!
XOXO
Elena Sendona
