When sales beckon you

Shopaholics and others in the city speak about what and how they buy during season sales

July 25, 2016 04:42 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:42 pm IST - Bengaluru

Sales offer you discounts on anything from clothes, shoes and bags -- Photo: Kamal Narang

Sales offer you discounts on anything from clothes, shoes and bags -- Photo: Kamal Narang

Two things stand out in Bengaluru in July – monsoons and EOSSs (end of season sales). Lured by the irresistible discounts, captivating cash-back offers and innumerable lucky draws, city folks are thronging malls and upmarket stores before stocks run out.

There is something about sales that fascinates shoppers. Manveen Kaur, co-founder of Hobby in a Box, says: “Offline sales are great. Stores get crowded, but I love the energy of the place and the bargains. In Bengaluru, not many people pick up coats and sweaters thanks to our weather. So, there is almost always a good variety of such products on sale (compared to the North). I buy them for my sister and she buys me light-weight knits and full-sleeved tops/dresses from similar sales in Delhi.”

According to Nirja Raju, curator of The Stylish Dish, “End-of-season-sales may be a tactic for brands to get rid of old stock, but I shop according to my style. There are classic pieces hidden wherever you go. If you go on a weekday there would not be much of a queue. As a curator I’m always on the look-out for something different. I use the EOSS as a fun challenge to find statement pieces that style up my entire wardrobe at a fraction of the cost. My most stylish finds were with international department stores online like Ted Baker, ASOS and Kate Spade. Their deals include free shipping. I check out my favourite stores as well, if the brand was disappointing when they launched their new season, I would avoid going there for sale.”

For music teacher, Sharon Clarance, “It is home décor products and stationery items that I wait to snap up at sales. Branded home décor is quite expensive otherwise. Unfortunately, this year’s sales have been a little disappointing. Luckily, I picked up some lovely stuff at a pop-up sale just before the end of season sales began.”

A few months ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that men are shopping like women. Apparently, they are seeking out trends, shopping on impulse and browsing.

Anand Joy, an app developer, says: “I wait eagerly for sales every year but I’m better off shopping alone than in the company of a woman. I’ve got to wear formals to work, so I usually buy them when they’re on sale. It is only during Deepavali that discounts are available on electronic gadgets so I save up to spend on each sale accordingly.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of end of season sales but who doesn’t like to take advantage of the extra discounts on some great brands? I generally look out for jackets, jeans, and shoes,” states Sujay Boon, a team lead.

“I think online shopping has changed the way we shop, including our notion of shopping. End of season sales are online too and for people like me who hate the maddening crowds at malls, shopping in the comfort of my home or phone, is easier. Maybe that is also why I don’t just buy the first nice thing I spot. I browse similar products, save them to my wishlist and then make an informed decision. I also find that sometimes you get better bargains online and the collections are more varied. Just the fact that one can return or exchange sale products bought online, as opposed to when purchased at a store, makes me believe that men are changing the way they shop and we’re not exactly averse to retail therapy anymore,” says content writer, Shobith Genomal.

There are those who aren’t swayed by EOSSs. Reena Kalra, proprietor of fashion label, Adah by Reena, “Long queues at the trial room and clothes thrown around haphazardly is a huge turn off for me. And, often, I end up picking up non-sale items.” Lifestyle blogger, Kritii Grover says: “I love festive sales but not season end ones. I don’t want to shop for something from the season gone by when we have a new and interesting ones ahead.”

Whether you’re an enthusiast or not, there’s really no escaping the anticipation that surrounds sales. The window displays beckon as do the newspaper ads, and shopping app notifications on your Smartphone. So if the shopping bug has bitten you, you might want to make use of the opportunity now unless of course waiting for the next EOSS six months from now is no biggie!

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.