Handbags at the ready

Shop late at night

*Suit up-The outfit you wear is an important part of a successful sale shopping experience. That’s not to say you should be clad head-to-toe in Vogue-worthy pieces, but dress for comfort. Sale shopping inevitably results in at least two of the following; lots of walking, lengthy queues, possessed mothers aiming for your toes with their pram, possessed kids noisily trying to escape said mother, multiple outfit try-ons, elbow jostling...in a nutshell, flat shoes, comfy clothes and sharpened elbows are a must.

*Do your research-Have a rough idea what you’re looking for eg. jeans/a black jacket/ brown boots. This will cut down having to rummage through countless rails in the hope that something catches your eye. Knowing what size you are in particular shops will cut down on time spent in the changing rooms (and some shops don’t even open their changing rooms on the busiest sale days). Also know what you don’t need (another pair of jeans/jumper dress) to avoid impulse buys that you’ll never wear. Sales are also a good time for stocking up on gifts for other people-Boots often have ample gift sets reduced-and Christmas cards/decorations for next year.

*Preparation-At the very least, go armed with a bottle of water. Crowd-proof snacks are also advisable (learn from my mistake and leave the banana at home), as food outlets usually have lengthy queues and no seats, much like the pre-Christmas rush.

*Route planning-Know which shops will be busiest and aim to visit them earliest (if you’re an early bird) or last, to avoid the main crowds. Predominant offenders include Hollister (identified by hoards of teenage girls decked out head to toe in Abercrombie, paying with Daddy’s credit card), Topshop and Zara.

*Mission launch-Choose the right day to hit the shops. From years of experience, take it from a pro; 28th December seems to be the optimum day for bargain hunting. Boxing Day is too soon-many shops don’t open, and those that do probably won’t have sorted and re-priced sale stuff yet. By 28th December, the eager beavers (I’m looking at you, if you’re mad enough to get up at 5am for the Next sale) will have been along and thinned out the rails, making them more easily rummageable. If you leave it until after December 30th, many of the best bargains will have already gone, despite sales continuing well into January.

You can try playing it safe and internet shopping if there’s one particular item you’ve had your eye on, but companies tend to restrict what content they sell on their website during sale time, because stock levels fluctuate so rapidly. Some companies also have strict rules about sales returns, so bear that in mind.

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