Your summer war drobe – half price!
There’s one upside to the rain – the best sales ever
REJOICE, women of Britain! Go down to the High Street and you will see a cheering sight. Nearly every clothing shop has huge signs proclaiming ‘slashed prices’ and ‘early summer sale’ — most offering an astonishing 50 per cent off.
Step inside and you won’t see the usual sad leftovers in odd sizes, but the cream of the summer stock.
Yes, the sales are here, earlier than ever and with big discounts sooner than usual ( shops habitually start at 30 per cent, slowly moving to 50 per cent). So what has happened? Remember February? Temperatures were sub- zero. Yet the shops were starting to fill with lovely lightweight linen shirts, carefree cotton dresses and skimpy swimwear perfect for sun-drenched days.
It was the same in March. And April. And May. Now, in mid- June, an umbrella is the only musthave accessory.
And so, across the land, retailers have pressed the panic button, cutting up to 70 per cent off their summer ranges to get customers to spend.
From H&M to Harvey Nichols, Mango to Matches, discounts abound. Even Jigsaw, which usually holds out until July, has slashed prices.
‘The fashion industry is facing a challenging time because consumers are spending more on areas like leisure rather than on clothing, as well as due to the unseasonal spring weather,’ says Tamara Sender, senior fashion analyst at Mintel.
‘Retailers are getting nervous and are slashing prices to shift excess stock as many have seen poor sales over the last quarter.’
It could just also be that we are all that bit more savvy. We’ve all learned to look for the best price and rarely pay the RRP (recommended retail price) any more — routinely carrying out internet searches to find the best bargains.
Mintel’s consumer research reveals 54 per cent of shoppers prefer to buy their clothes on sale or special offer rather than paying full price.
And with the traditional model of twice- yearly collections replaced by monthly or fortnightly ‘stock drops’, many stores regularly reduce specific pieces to make way for new ranges — meaning the wait for bargains is never a long one.
So while they may have a big impact on retailers’ bottom lines, the reductions are great news for shoppers.
Oh, and if you really want a bargain, head to Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, where the designer outlet boutiques began its summer sales early in May, reducing already discounted stock even further.
You never know, you might just get a window of summery weather to wear those sandals you’ve bought for a steal . . .