How To Save Money On the Sales – the aftermath

Remember my strategy for the upcoming summer sales? After a couple of shopping trips, my plans were squashed and left me with a bitter after-taste edging  towards deep disappointment. Having recently moved to Spain I was really looking forward to some decent bargain hunting at Zara, but I was obviously deluded.

At the store, it looked like a bomb had hit the place. Remember how I mentioned how some shops had the visual edge? This Zara branch clearly had none. The only reason why I didn’t make a U-turn as soon as I walked through the door, was because I was after certain items I had already eyed during the season. I’m guessing that’s what everyone does and Zara knows this, hence the lack of effort tiding up the shop floor.

Secondly, we all know their full prices are somewhat inflated, as the quality is never amazing, I have witnessed how a blouse that cost over €30 ended up ruined after one wash. I went to Zara at exactly 7 hours after they opened for sales, at 5pm on the first day. I found a gold knitwear jumper that was ruined in every single of the 7 pieces that were left. Maybe I’m looking for the wrong type of item during the sales (???), knitwear being a delicate thing and the rush of people makes these items really suffer. I also came across several blouses missing at least a button, a purse with a ripped zip, and skirts that looked like somebody had used them to sweep the floors. To top it, these items were still overpriced: in the case of the knitted jumper, €35 for a piece that was so badly manufactured – in Turkey, apparently – it was full of pulled threads and holes. The hangers they were on over-stretched their necklines to nasty extents.

Is that what I can expect from Zara’s sales? defective pieces at high prices? I could have gone up to the till – as that was were all sales attendants seemed to gather, none on the floor tiding up the rails or tables – and asked for a further reduction, but the queues were of +12 people each. I really didn’t have the heart to wait for so long, for maybe, an extra 10% reduction if anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I have worked in retail, during the sales, and the mayhem is such that it becomes near to impossible to keep an eye on the state of the store when a human tide is ravishing through it. However for the quality of mass-produced fashion, that we all know is very cheap to make, finding such hefty price tags seems like a cruel joke.

Did I managed to stick to my wish list? not really, as I hardly found any of the items I was after. I did manage to purchase a cute bikini, at another store, but it wasn’t even reduced so I only bought the top, then teaming it with some bottoms that were at half-price.

My sister did find a cute dress over at Zara, still overpriced, again for what it was, at €20, but we felt the colour and the cut were simply perfect for the summer, plus the fabric seemed so light I was really happy she went for it – I just really hope it doesn’t shrink in the laundry. What do you think?

Dress: Zara
Bag: Stradivarius
Sandals: Pull & Bear circa 2006
Shades: Topshop

This is probably the first time I feature my little sister here, Tina, apart from now and then on former logo’s and site headers. She’s one gorgeous kitty and I love her for letting me take pictures of her to publish on Fashion Limbo.

So, were the sales good to you?

Pictures: Fashion Limbo