After comfortably shopping online for what seems like a lifetime, 1,000s of us are now pounding the pavements for some old fashioned retail therapy.
Most outlets are selling off their old and slightly seconds stock to make way for new items to tempt us so, well worth a look.
I like to seek out such bargains and I am also a fan of picking up key items which would cost much more if bought in season. Things like chunky jumpers, bought in summer ready for autumn or swimsuits bought at the end of the summer season but great for next season or winter sun.
Personally, I love shopping online; if it’s in my size I can just ‘click and collect’ and wait for my order to arrive direct to my door. For me, gone are the days of searching through the rails for something which turns out to be OUT OF STOCK in my size. I became tired of hearing, “If we have it, then it would be out”. Sometimes the pursuit of the one item I just had to have turned me in to a crazy person. Has anyone else covertly followed someone around the shop just because they looked your size and were holding the very item you wanted to purchase for a night out?
I do miss wandering around with by friends though and finally collapsing for lunch with lots of bags sprawled around me. Yes, we all know that most of it will be returned but there is something satisfying about a shop with friends and I certainly always buy more. I also miss getting home and trying everything on again.
I don’t however miss dragging the bags back to the shops and explaining why I don’t want the item I bought just the day before. I certainly don’t miss queuing all over again either. Where did I put those receipts!
I am not saying that I won’t hit the shops again but it’s certainly less embarrassing buying two of everything online and I enjoy the anonymity of sending them back. Particularly when I’m keeping the larger size!
One plus for shopping on the high street is to support local businesses. The smaller independent shops which struggle when footfall drops. Those shops quite often have unexpected bargains and items that one won’t see everyone else wearing so worth a peek.
Well, however you shop, stay safe and …… don’t become that crazy lady!