Analyst reports indicate that Christmas shoppers will experience the sales prices usually seen in January a month earlier this year, so shopping now will get you a better deal than waiting until the New Year.
Data from lovethesales.com suggest that there is a 63 per cent increase in clearance prices online compared to last year, with ASOS and Debenhams as the leading retailers.
Stuart McClure of lovethesales.com said that ‘people have always expected Boxing Day and January sales, but this year you don’t want to wait to get a good deal’.
Early Christmas shopping is seen as a smart thing to do. You can spend more time choosing the gifts you buy for loved ones and feel less stressed as December 25th looms ever closer. But post-Christmas, it is not uncommon to find that the items you have purchases are now in the sale and at a greatly reduced price. Thankfully this year it seems that these bargains will be available earlier on, which is good news for all shoppers, especially cash-strapped students.
Online sales are beginning much earlier than in store, and retailers are expected to struggle with a huge increase in online orders, potentially increasing delivery wait times and the risk of websites crashing. Online sales between October and November increased by 1.4 per cent, crushing economists’ predictions of a 0.3 per cent change.
So which brands are offering slashed prices?
Fashion
Laura Ashley and House of Fraser have reductions of up to 52.5 per cent online, and H&M and Topshop/Topman are offering up to 60 per cent off both online and in store. Debenham’s 50 per cent sale begins on line on the 23rd.
Adidas is offering 20 per cent off, as is Jack & Jones. Meanwhile, Public Desire has discounts of 15 per cent, and TOMs is offering a festive 20 per cent through Unidays. ASOS has 50 per cent off on sale items until the 28th December.
Beauty
Smashbox has a 20 per cent deal online until Christmas Eve, and 50% off their Holidaze collection, while Superdrug and Origins both offer 10% off. MAC has their usual 10% student discount plus a free code FINALGIFTS for free delivery. Benefit is offering a massive 60 per cent off until January 14th.
Keeping track of when sales are beginning and ending can be difficult, so make sure to follow brands on social media to hear about their offers, or to use apps to track when items are discounted. The UniDays app is a really helpful source of student-friendly deals as well as the underappreciated Student Beans.
Keep a look out for items you know you’ll want or need in the New Year—think a new pair of shoes, or a warm coat, or uni-related items like books or a new case for your laptop. Checking online for deals on Amazon, AbeBooks, and other student-friendly sites might just score you your entire reading list, and for a reduced price. Abebooks, for example, has a 20 per cent discount of a selection of books at textbooks until December 28th!
Spend your pennies wisely this Christmas, whether online or in-store, and keep up to date with sales to make your loan go further. There’s no better feeling than wearing a new coat, especially if you got it at a huge discount.
Esme Johnson
Featured image courtesy of @a.designer.at.heart via Instagram.
Main article image courtesy of @benefitcosmeticsuk via Instagram.
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