The January sales are well underway, with many kick-started even before the Christmas period. Although anecdotal evidence would have it that many of you are only hitting the retail streets now given the restrictive weather conditions! Now that you have ventured out, we thought it was timely to offer you a few key tips to get the most out of the sales, particularly when it comes to your wardrobe…

Lesson 1: Know what you want

The New Year is traditionally a time for de-cluttering, spring-cleaning, taking stock. It is also a good time for us to think about the image we present to the world and how we would ideally like that to be. With many clothing outlets offering up to 70% off original purchase prices, coupled with the January Blues, one can easily be seduced into buying unnecessary items. Don’t fall into the trap of simply being lured by the bargain and shopping for the sake of it!

Do a wardrobe clearout before splurging in the sales, not after you need to squeeze your new purchases in! This way you can pare your closet down to the ultimate ‘capsule wardrobe’ as popularised by top stylists such as Gok Wan. A capsule wardrobe is made up of ‘classic staples’, the core pieces you wear most days, and ultimately the pieces you need to shop for or accessorise with. The black pencil skirt that really complements your shape, the oversized white shirt that looks amazing with the right belt and chunky jewellery accessory, the maxi-cardigan that hides all the right bits, you get the idea…

The key question to ask is; what can I find in the sales that will perfectly complement these favourite pieces? To get the most out of your budget over the long-term, try to narrow your major purchases down to ‘classic pieces’. Items that will not look faddish or dated before you’ve even gotten around to cutting the price tag off.

Lesson 2: Know your rights

Many shops have strict policies in relation to refund or exchange of goods and may add further restrictions to purchases from their sale lines. Unfortunately receipt reminders such as ‘no exchange on sale goods’ are all-too-common during sale periods.

So what are your rights when you buy goods at reduced prices? In most cases, your rights are exactly the same as at any other time of the year. So if the much-cosseted winter coat busts at the seams, you are entitled to a refund or replacement product. An exception would be where goods are clearly described as seconds or as shop-soiled. In this case the consumer may not expect the same standard as would be applicable to new goods.

So what if I just change my mind? You have no legal entitlement to an exchange or a refund simply because you change your mind about something you’ve bought. However, many stores have a stated policy of exchanging goods without quibble providing they are returned within a reasonable stated period (usually between fourteen and thirty days). Check the shop’s refund policy before buying anything in the sales. Some stores will allow exchange of goods that you’ve had second thoughts on, but this is at their discretion and a goodwill gesture rather than borne of any legal obligation.

Lesson 3: Know your post-sales options

If you have fallen into the ‘impulse buy’ or ‘wrong size present’ trap, all is not lost. If you didn’t get to support your charity of choice over Christmas, a donation of unwanted clothing will be gratefully accepted at any time of year. For high-end clothing, try your luck on eBay. But be aware that it is awash with sale of unwanted Christmas gifts at this time of year and you may not get a desired sale price.

Another option is to swop clothes (see our clothes-swopping feature). According to Adèle Geoghegan, owner of SWOPSHOP in Dublin’s Temple Bar,

We are currently seeing a lot of customers with unwanted gifts and sale buys. Many have simply exceeded the time period for exchanging an item, lost the receipt, or it may even be inconvenient to return it due to geographical boundaries!

Fortunately, the cloud of buyers’ remorse may actually have a silver lining for your ill-advised purchase may suit someone else perfectly and vice versa:

Today, for example, we had one customer exchange a gorgeous blazer from Dolce and Gabbanna. She loved the blazer, but found that the sleeves were just too short. She swopped for a pair of jeans from Seven which she was really happy with. The idea behind SWOPSHOP is really simple – trade something you won’t wear for something you will. It’s the only store where you can literally use clothes as currency and we offer sale prices all year round.

Happy shopping!

Tags: clothes shopping, clothes swapping, money saving tips, Savings

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 12:24 pm and is filed under Lifestyle, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.