I am going to tell you something, I used to feel like I was too high-end for retail sales. After I moved to Boston for work, I always shopped at full-priced retailers like Nordstrom and Saks. I felt like I needed to avoid sales since I was now making a corporate salary and therefore should not shop at such low prices. Then my student loan payments started rolling in, and I realised that reality was going to be a lot colder than the New England winters. That is when a colleague from Britain introduced me to the concept of strategically purchasing merchandise on sale. Honestly, it changed everything I did when building my wardrobe.
Although my first true experience with a sale was not at Next, it was a Barneys Warehouse Sale in Chelsea Piers that I had heard about in my MBA program. I arrived twenty minutes after opening, thinking I was going to beat the crowds. What I encountered was an apocalyptic scene of empty racks and women grabbing as many designer pieces as possible as if they were collecting goods for the end of the world. I left with one Rag & Bone T-Shirt that was still $80, although it was reduced from $120, and I felt like I had totally missed the point of the whole event.
This first experience of sale shopping taught me a valuable lesson about shopping on sale – it is not just about showing up, it is about having a plan. Also, when I returned to the UK for a short time for a project with our London office, I was educated on how to strategically shop at a Next sale by my flat mate Sarah. She approached shopping at a Next sale with the same level of strategic planning that people typically reserve for military tactics.
Sarah told me that Next sales are not like the American department store sales, where everything is gradually discounted over a period of weeks. Rather, these are events. Large, scheduled, slightly crazy events that take place four times a year, and create the best and worst aspects of British retail culture. The largest sales occur in January (after Christmas clearance), March (the end of winter), July (summer clearance), and September (before autumn). However, there is another piece of information that nobody lets you in on – the smaller, unplanned sales that occur between these larger sales are generally where you will find the greatest deals.
I learned this the hard way, when I missed out on a beautiful cream-colored wool blazer that I had been eyeing for months. I was waiting for the large July sale, convinced that it would be reduced at that time. Unfortunately, it vanished during a random Tuesday morning flash sale, which occurred for only six hours. By the time I discovered the loss, my size was gone, and I spent the next three months beating myself up every time I saw the store window.
Now I realise how foolish I was. Today, I “recon shop” (i.e. scout) two weeks prior to each major sale. I am not shopping at that time to purchase anything, I am simply charting the location of products, verifying what sizes are available, and essentially creating a “hit list” of the items I want. Since Next does not normally move its inventory before a sale, they simply put new price tags on everything overnight.
The timing of these sales is almost bizarre. The major sales begin online at 2:30 AM UK time, and in-store openings occur at 5 or 6 AM. Although I have never understood why Next chooses to open their sales during these hours, I believe that they do it to limit the number of customers, and also to test your resolve to seek out bargains. The first time I attempted to shop a major sale online, I set my clock for 2:15 AM London time (so approximately 9:15 PM Boston time, and thus somewhat more civilized). At 2:35 AM, the Next website had collapsed due to the overwhelming volume of shoppers, and by the time it came back on line, half of the items on my “wish list” were sold out.
At that time, I learned about Next’s VIP early access, which appears to be Next’s way of giving their top customers the privilege of shopping at reasonable hours. In order to qualify for VIP status, you must have a Next store credit card, and spend a minimum of £500-£600 per year. With VIP status, you get early access to the sale online three days before everyone else, and you can shop at 7 PM, when the site is functioning properly, and you can actually think about what you are purchasing rather than panic buying as many items as possible.
Once I obtained VIP status, I became a bit obsessed with obtaining it. During my time in London, I began to route additional purchases through Next, purchased gift items for family members, and stocked up on essentials. Was this a little excessive? Perhaps. But when you are working 12 hour days in the city, and shopping is something that you need to accomplish in whatever spare moments you can find, having guaranteed access to sales at reasonable hours is truly worth it.
Next breaks down its department layout in a way that I wish someone had informed me about previously. The homeware area is by far the best value. Their bedding in particular. I have purchased Egyptian cotton sheet sets for £30 that would cost £150 or more in US department stores. To obtain the best value in the homeware area, you must stick to basic colours (such as white, cream, light grey) since the seasonal colour patterns and bright colours receive less aggressive reductions. I learned this after falling in love with a wonderful navy blue and white striped duvet cover that I could never get under 30% off, while the plain white version of the same quality was reduced to 60% off several times.
As for the women’s apparel section of Next, it is hit or miss. However, the biggest secret is that Next carries a wide variety of other brands that generally offer better discounts than you will find anywhere else. I have found Whistles dresses for less than half price, Phase Eight blazers for outrageous discounts, even smaller Scandinavian brands that rarely discount themselves. My best find was a Ganni-type floral dress (it was actually from Y.A.S., which is a part of the same parent company) that was originally priced at £89, and I acquired it for £25 because it was the last one in my size.
As for the men’s apparel section, I have to say that I am impressed. Next’s business attire is significantly better than their prices. If you shop at the major sales, their business attire is comparable to much more expensive options. I bought a charcoal wool suit for my brother that was originally priced at £399. I was able to acquire it for £119 in the January sale. He uses it frequently for his job as a lawyer in Atlanta and is constantly asked where he obtained the suit because the quality appears to be much higher than the price.
However, let us discuss the actual shopping experience, as it is certainly unique. The in-store sales of Next are chaotic in ways that American consumers may not understand. My first attempt at shopping at a major Next sale was at the Oxford Street flagship, and I arrived at what I thought was a reasonable 7 AM. The queue extended for two blocks, and the women in front of me were discussing their “sale strategy” with the same level of seriousness that people typically reserve for debating tax policies.
By the time I finally entered the store, it was as if I had stepped into a civilized version of Black Friday. People were not pushing or shoving each other, however, there were definite signs of territorial behavior similar to that observed in animal documentaries. I watched a woman in her sixties expertly maneuver to secure the last cashmere cardigan in size medium, including using a diversionary tactic to distract others while she edged closer to her goal.
During the first few hours of major sales, the fitting rooms are closed. This is something that nobody warns you about beforehand. As a result, I ended up judging sizes by holding the items up to myself, which is not a reliable method of determining your correct size when you are exhausted from lack of sleep and drinking too much coffee. I purchased a silk blouse that appeared perfect on the hanger, but ultimately turned out to be made for someone with a completely different body shape than me. It sat in my London closet for months, still with the tags attached, as a £23 reminder that sale shopping requires a different set of skills than standard shopping.
Currently, I shop at Next during online sales whenever I can. While shopping online is less dramatic than shopping in person, it is more convenient, particularly when I am dealing with shipping to Boston. Next offers a fairly decent return policy – 14 days for full refunds, even on items that have been reduced. However, you absolutely must retain your receipts. I learned this when I tried to return a pair of boots that caused me blisters, with nothing but bank statements and confirmation of orders to support my claim. The store manager was sympathetic, but inflexible – no receipt, no refund, case closed.
Over the past couple of years, I have become more skilled at realising the limitations of altering clothing. During my early days of sale shopping, I was convinced that a wonderful blazer in the incorrect size was still a bargain because I could “simply have it tailored”. Ultimately, when I paid for professional tailoring (and trust me, it is expensive in London and Boston), that £40 blazer had cost me £85 and was still not the perfect fit. Now I only purchase items that fit properly straight off the rack, or require minor and relatively inexpensive alterations.
I continue to learn how to shop at Next on sale, and the psychology of sale shopping. When you see an item that is reduced by 70%, your brain responds similarly to finding money on the street. You want to immediately buy the item, regardless of whether or not you need it or are sure that it is the correct style for you. Therefore, I have developed a number of rules for myself. For example, I allow myself 24 hours to consider whether I really want to purchase an item that is over £50, and I only purchase items that I would have considered at full price.
My current method of shopping at Next sales is significantly more strategic and less emotional than my previous experiences. When I know that a sale is approaching, I browse online and save the items that interest me to my “wish list”. I establish a budget (usually £200-£300, which is surprisingly sufficient in a good sale) and I stick to it. I shop the VIP early access when I have it, or I wait until the second day of public sales when the website is operational, and I can actually think rationally about what I am purchasing.
The items that I have utilized the most are the basics – quality pants, well-cut blazers, and high-quality knitwear in neutral colours. The more decorative items, even at lower prices, tend to collect dust in my closet because they are difficult to incorporate into my daily routine. It took me years to understand that boring can be better when it comes to sale shopping. A perfectly cut black blazer at 60% off will receive more wear than the sparkly evening gown at 80% off.
I am writing this from Boston, and I have a work trip to London planned for later this summer. I am expecting to visit the UK during the summer sale, and I have identified a linen blazer and some lightweight knitwear that would be ideal for the air conditioned office environment that we suffer from here. My approach to shopping at the sale will be calm, logical, and based upon years of trial and error in attempting to navigate the idiosyncrasies of British retail culture.
To be honest, I have learned more about how to shop at Next sales than I ever thought I would. I have developed skills that can be applied to a wide range of retail experiences. For example, researching the items that I want to purchase beforehand, moving quickly without making impulsive decisions, and identifying quality at any price point. These are not just helpful skills for locating bargains – they are useful life skills for anyone who must construct a professional wardrobe on any budget. Even though I have never physically visited a Next store, understanding the psychology and strategy involved in sale shopping can assist individuals in becoming more intelligent consumers in general.
