Tips for Shopping End of Summer Sales

From London to South Africa to North Carolina, it’s the summer sale season. With the summer vacation season come the summer sales. Consumers are still cutting back on their spending resulting plethora of sales that seem to be going on constantly.  The sale price seems to be the new retail price at many stores.  But having said that, there are still some ways to get the best out of the end of Summer and Back to School sales. Here’s a few of The Recessionista’s time tested tips for shopping and getting the best deals.

SUMMER SALE SHOPPING TIPS
1. Consider being an early-bird. Many chain stores have early-bird specials that start a 7 a.m some weekends. Take advantage of that extra 10 to 15 percent off. Macy’s and Kohl’s offer early bird specials many weekends.  Check their web sites for details. Setting up a Google alert can help you find early bird deals in your area.

2. Try to shop weekday mornings. They restock at night, so there’s a bigger selection. Look for big deals right now at H&M and ZARA there are items on the sales rack for $10.00 and $15.00.  If you want to shop online, have a look at the ASOS summer sale, where everything is 50% off.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is one of the top summer sales for high fashion at lower prices.

3. Check price-comparison sites like PriceGrabber.com  or use Google search before heading to the store. That way, you’ll know you’re getting the best price, and stores won’t be so daunting. You can even check the prices in-store from your mobile phone to make sure you are getting the best deal.

4. Quality silks and cottons can be season less and may last forever. Plus, brands like Chanel will always be in style. Look for pre-loved Chanel and other designer deals on eBay.

5. Loyal customers get the best deals at department stores. Applying for a store credit card will enable you to get further discounts during sales. I don’t recommend getting a Banana Republic card because of the steep finance charges and late penalty fees, but the Kohl’s charge card is a good deal and gives you savings of 20% off on the day you apply/get the card.

6.When you pay a high price tag for an item you love, it may be better to invest in neutral colors. They easily transition into fall and will often be in style many years down the line.  For bright colors and trendy items, go for deals at place like H&M where you won’t pay too much, but you may not be able to wear the piece for years.

7. Use the search engines and social media to save.  Google and Bing are your friends, search for coupons at your favorite stores and the search engines will fetch them for you.  Also, follow sales on Twitter  and look at the designer’s Facebook pages for some great deals.