For those who are brave enough to venture out to post Christmas sales, here is a guide to survival.
- Head to the shops early - go to bed early the night before, set your alarm clock - and absolutely no snooze button!
- Wear comfy shoes - a lot of walking will be involved, whether this in the shopping centre or from the carpark and back. Leave the stilettos at home.
- Clothing - wear light clothing, with all the people in the shopping centres you can get overwhelmed and overheated (at all costs you don't want to be THAT person who faints in the centre, and is shown on the news across every television station). Wear shoes that can slip off easily, when you are trying on clothes the last thing you want to do is spend time buckling and unbuckling shoes.
- Hands-free bag - forget holding your wallet and phone, today is the day you need your hands more than ever. Use a bag that crosses over your body, and throw in a drink bottle to stay hydrated.
- Check online the night before - late Christmas Eve all your favourite retailers advertise their sales on their websites. Check out their online shop, and make a list of the stores you want to go to (this way you won't forget any).
- If you are driving, and you see a parking take it - even if you think you may find one closer, just stick to the first parking you see (trust me on that one).
- If you can, avoid driving - get dropped off by a friend or family member. This will save time from the nightmare that is the carpark - especially if you don't plan to be at the shops as soon as they open.
- Try things on - the changing rooms are there for a reason! Most stores do not exchange on sale items, so try on clothes and shoes so that you do not spend money on things that don't fit.
Today's experience:
Chadstone (Melbourne's fashion capital) opened at 7am. Now when the shops say open at 7am, they neglect to mention the queues that start at 6am.
I set my alarm clock at 6am, left the house at 6.20am, and got to the shops at 6.45am (seems everyone in Melbourne had the same idea - no sleep ins here). I wore a maxi, and my Senso-style boots with a cross-over Mimco bag to keep my hands free (to hold the abundance of clothes and hangers I accumulated).
I had done my research the night before, and took a screenshot on my iPhone of all the items that were on sale, that interested me, so that I could stay on track.
I also checked the Facebook status, and Instagram pictures of my favourite stores (eg. Kookai, White Suede, Sportsgirl) to see what kind of sales they would be having. Once I saw that Kookai had 50% off selected items, I knew this would be my first stop. This is because Kookai rarely do sales, so when there is a sale every fashionista in the state would be there (and I definitely wasn't wrong).
I had finished my shopping by 9am (incredible, right?), before I headed to a quieter strip of shops for some more bargains.
I ended up with bags and bags full of Kookai items, as well as from other stores.
What you will notice, is that as each rack empties, the staff will replenish - so you need to keep checking in with the stores. Just because you scored a bargain today, doesn't mean that there aren't new bargains to be had tomorrow (so if anyone is looking for me for the next few mornings, you know where I will be...)
My biggest tip for when you are in a store is even if you think an item is OK (don't love it, don't hate it), hold it in your hands (tight, and don't let it go...). Because as soon as you put that baby down, some other person is going to come along and snap it up...usually just as you change your mind and decide you want it.
Good luck and Happy Shopping!
