How to master the Boxing Day sales

A lot of people love a good bargain which explains why the Boxing Day sales are the most manic shopping periods of the year. With so many people venturing out to the shops or simply scrolling online, there’s a lot of competition around.

So how do you beat the thousands of others looking to buy the exact same item? Here’s some tips and tricks to help you become a Boxing Day master.

Know what you want
Create a wishlist of things you actually want to buy in the sales. You could do this by making a Pinterest board (secret, of course) or simply noting down the product codes or names. Then when the discounts begin, all you have to do is a bit of quick searching to find what you’re looking for. Although not everything will be included in the sale, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and won’t end up getting lumbered with things you didn’t really need. If you’re heading into stores, you could print pictures of things you’re looking for (or simply save them on your phone) and hope the sales assistants aren’t too frazzled to point you in the right direction.

Timing
If you’re a really keen sale shopper, you could win out by staying up until past midnight on Chistmas Day. Technically, online sales could begin at any time on the 26th so keep an eye out by following your favourite brands on social media and refreshing those homepages. If a physical experience is more your thing, check what time stores will be opening. Most open at 9am but the odd few may start earlier.

Shop alone
Friends will be a distraction. Period. It’s better to get the goods alone or you’ll end up with a whole load of things you didn’t really want or worse, nothing at all. This also removes the issue of what happens when you both want the last of something. Trust us, many friendships have died as a result of sales arguments.

Understand the returns policies
Occasionally, stores will change their usual 30 day returns policy to something slightly less for the Boxing Day sales. This should be clearly displayed at till points but if it’s not, ask an employee or check the terms and conditions online.

Dress practically
If you’re braving the outside, make sure you’re wearing something warm and comfortable. Not too warm though as you don’t want to be at risk of passing out in the crowds. Make sure your outfit’s easy to take on and off for efficiency in the changing rooms. Oh, and don’t wear heels.

Learn how to quick refresh
Sites will inevitably crash so it’s useful to learn the shortcut for refreshing a page. Press F5 on Windows and Command + R on a Mac.

Head to a high street
High streets are your best bet if possible. Shopping centres are great and have everything in one place but they cause a lot of traffic and have limited parking. If you live in the right place, take public transport to your nearest high street for the chance to grab some real goodies.

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