Last year, I went to a Christmas party where the host had an ingenious idea. Since turkeys normally go for cut-throat prices before 25 Dec, she stocked up on them cheap poultry on 26 Dec, put them in deep deep freeze and voila! there's turkey for next year's party.
This year, due to the world-wide recession, retailers have no choice but to slash prices so that shoppers will part with their hard-earned cash. I for one have been "saving" money...buying at sales helps me "save" money. Dear SM Goh, I have fulfilled my patriotic obligations by whipping out my credit cards to support the flagging retail sector.
Talking about supporting the retail sector, did you know that Taiwanese and Australian governments actually GIVE out vouchers for their citizens to spend?! In comparison, our government only announced ministers' pay cuts. Big deal. After this pay cut, their salaries are still higher than pre-2008 raise.
Anyway back to sales, shopping during sales does require some kind of stamina and mental strength. At the recent 2 sales i went to, namely Club 21 and Mango, they made customers put their bags into these humongous white plastic bags and 'lock' up the handles to prevent theft. For one, it was humiliating to lug these ugly bags dangling from my arms and leaving even uglier red marks. For another, I am now denied access to my mobile phone. Wonder who came up with the "ingenious" idea?
I think the best time to go for sales is in the mid-afternoon on the first day. If you went in the morning, expect to jostle with early-risers, aunties. It can get quite physical with some very brisk striding involved. Plus there would be a queue. Plus aunties don't care if you think they are coarse and rude. If you went in the late-afternoon, say 6-ish, you would meet the office crowd in full force. More queuing and browsing is near-impossible. Be prepared to mess up the shelves looking for sizes.
At Mango, I queued twice for the fitting room as we were limited to 5 pieces. On the second try, the salesgirl miscounted my items and I went in with 7. Hurray! The secret? Lump all the similarly-coloured clothes together. So after deliberating on my purchases, I yet again had to queue for the cashier. All this queuing will help you develop the fruit of patience. By this time, your arm is probably aching from the vast amounts of fabric you had to lug. Plus that stupid cumbersome plastic bag. Your legs will be threatening to give way any time hence. And your credit card will approach its limits.
On occasion, when the sale is REALLY good, like 80% off, you may be denied the access of fitting rooms. That's when you should come prepared in the tightest-fitting, skimpiest clothes you have. Wear skirts if you intend to buy pants or shorts. Long flowy ones are good for some makeshift camouflage. Gather your loot, plonk them in front of any available mirror, and just fit them over/under your clothes.
Hope you enjoyed the advice from a sales veteran cum survivor. Sales Rocks!
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