Christmas sales...

By  Jessica Winch

The thought of throngs of shoppers searching for a bargain may fill you with excitement or dread. But like it or not, Christmas is the biggest spending period of the entire year – and it is shaping up to be a very good Christmas for bargain hunters. 

According to figures from City accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, 72pc of the high street was running sales promotions in the week before Christmas Day, with an average discount of 46pc. 

Retailers including M&S, Debenhams and House of Fraser were offering half-price gifts and clothing, while clothing stores Boden and Gap were running sales with 60pc off selected items. 

Elizabetta Camilleri of sales website salesgossip.co.uk said: “We can’t believe how many deals we are seeing at the moment – there are many more popular brands on sale early with very generous discounts.” 

The frenzy meant that many retailers appeared unable to keep track of the offers. Members of deals website HotUKDeal reported two half-price offers at M&S, for example, which allowed them to get toiletry gift sets for nothing until M&S spotted the mistake. 

The opportunity to bag a bargain will continue well into the new year as retailers cut prices in the clearance sales after Christmas. 

These sales used to start on Boxing Day, but the advent of online shopping means that shops are now launching their clearance sales online as early as Christmas Eve. 

A spokesman for House of Fraser said its promotions in the run-up to Christmas were “flash promotions” that changed regularly, whereas its winter sale, which starts online at midday on Christmas Eve and in stores at 8am on Boxing Day, was across all departments. “The price won’t go back up again once the sale has started,” the spokesman added. 

An estimated £5.1bn will be spent in just three days over Christmas, between December 24 and 26 – slightly less than the average weekly total of £5.8bn in 2013, according to analysts at Verdict, the retail consultants. 

The John Lewis winter clearance sale starts online at 5pm on Christmas Eve and in shops at 8am on Boxing Day, with 50pc off fashion and homeware products. 

The Next sale starts in stores at 6am on Boxing Day, with all sale items at least half price, while Very.co.uk has sale items with up to 70pc off from December 23. 

Argos will reduce prices by up to 75pc in its sale, available online from midnight on Christmas Eve until December 31. Other discounts will be available until January 17. 

Shoppers can use numerous tactics to make the discounts go even further, using vouchers, loyalty cards and cashback websites (see below). 

“We have other sales periods, but the Boxing Day sale is the biggest of the year,” said Neil Saunders of retail analyst firm Conlumino. “You have a lot of stock involved because retailers want to get rid of the winter stock to prepare for spring and summer. 

“The other thing that makes it so big is a lot of people are off work and have time to browse the bargains.” 

His advice to shoppers is to plan way in advance where they want to shop. “Some retailers will let you see the discounts before they start selling the products,” he said. “Go online and compare prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal.” 

Mr Saunders said there would be discounts of up to 75pc in the clearance sales, but the typical discount would range from 20pc to 30pc. 

“If you know exactly what you are looking for, it’s easier to stick to your budget,” he said. “It is only a bargain if it is something you would have bought anyway.” 

Amanda Scott, head of accessories and beauty buying at John Lewis, said: “The best way to shop at the sales is to plan ahead, opt for classic trends and try to select items that will complement your existing wardrobe. 

“If you go sale shopping with a wish list of staple accessories, like a pair of leather brogues or a cashmere scarf, you will instantly take a more focused approach and avoid post-shopping guilt.” 

Ms Camilleri said: “Instead of trying to look at every shop, establish your favourite five and watch them closely.” 

Shoppers could sign up for email alerts at selected stores, for example, so they know when the sales start, or check the retailer’s website to get ahead of the game. Many online offers launch at midnight. 

You should also be prepared to haggle to get an even bigger discount. If the price is already reduced there can be more flexibility, particularly towards the end of the sale when shops are keen to clear out old stock to make way for new collections. 

MoneySavingExpert.com suggests approaching an assistant manager or supervisor to bargain with, as they have more discretion than most of the shop staff. 

There will be discounts of up to 70pc on items in the January sales, but you can make the savings go even further. 

Some online stores will let you use a discount code and a free delivery code on items. You can check what is on offer using websites such as VoucherCodes.co.uk, HotUKDeals.com and MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. 

Sites such as Quidco.com and topcashback.co.uk also help you earn cashback on your shopping, but you need to create an account first. 

Online shoppers click through the cashback site to the retailer and the site earns a commission on every purchase, which it passes back as a rebate. 

If you use the related app on your smartphone, you can go further still – you can adjust the settings so that you are alerted about special deals or discounts as you walk past or into certain shops. Quidco users can also register their debit or credit cards to earn cashback on spending in stores. 

Some loyalty schemes are more trouble than they are worth – but not all. House of Fraser card members receive an extra 10pc off all sale purchases between noon on Christmas Eve and December 27, for example. 

Consider too a cashback credit card, which pays as you spend. The Amex Platinum Everyday card pays 5pc cashback for the first three months, while the Santander 123 Cashback card – which requires a current account into which you must pay at least £1,000 each month – means you get 3p for every £1 spent on petrol or transport.