Inspire

Shopping in sales is something every one loves- especially when said sale proves to be half decent. This January I went out as normal, excited about what I could get with my Christmas money. I braved the cold, planned my shopping route and thought about where and when the coffee breaks would be held- as any trained bargain hunter would.

However, much to my despair- the sales were not as good as I had dreamed. 30% at the most - on clothes I wouldn’t even buy for my Grandmother! I could not believe my excitement and mental preparation had been wasted.

There was one particular sale I remember, that boasted to be ‘huge’, when in fact the sale was compressed into one corner, crushing all who entered it, holding only a few rails of odd sizes, or bulk badly made tees. It was so small I kept wondering into the new collections (which were cleverly placed), forgetting to look at the price while being enticed by the stunning new trends. And then of course I see the full price and my heart sinks- I had been got.

It seems to me shops have started to try and trick we humble sale seekers, using our naivety to trap us into buying not just their unimpressive sale items, but all their new ranges as well! I would go as far as saying I was considering hanging up the shopping tote for good.

However, just this week I went for a quick look round the shops with my mother after an extremely long lunch - and my old well trained bargain self saw in the corner of my eye ‘50-80% sale’. Well before my poor mother knew what was happening we were in there, arms overloaded, waiting in the changing room queue.

My heart was full- I no longer had to despair that shops had given up providing their customers a cheap treat. Decent sales still exist! Maybe not as much as they used to (undoubtedly before this tiresome recession), but they can still be found!

Don’t fear fellow bargain hunters, the hunt will still go on! (You just have to hunt that bit harder)

Amy Perkins