Here are 15 savvy must-know tips to shop the best deals online

Smart retail therapy is the way to go

1/16

“You know what? I think I’ve bought all the bags I’d ever want in my life”, said no one ever.

 

There’s just something so (dare we say it) addictive about retail therapy: It really does calm one’s frazzled nerves. Or maybe we’re just giving excuses. Either way, it’s enjoyable.

 

So while we can’t stop ourselves from blowing our disposable income, we can definitely work on shopping smart: It’s a win-win situation. Bookmark this story for insider tips on snagging the best deals online. Have fun checking out your shopping cart!



Photo: Showbit

Be mindful about the calendar

2/16

Mark out important dates in the calendar, like Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays, Boxing Day and more, all of which promise incredible price deductions off items on most shopping sites.

 

Also, keep your eyes peeled and your credit cards at the ready during festive seasons like Christmas and Mother’s Day, because the same online shopping sites will in all likelihood proffer bundled goodies that are the very definition of value-for-money. Better yet, hold your horses for a few days and retailers might slash the prices lower just to clear their stock.

 

Photo: Showbit

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Look out for free shipping

3/16

Do a cursory Google search and you’ll find a whole slew of retailers that offer free shipping during Black Friday and other key dates on the shopping calendar. Or just stick to online sites that provide complimentary shipping so long as you hit a minimum amount in the cart.



Photo: Asos

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Be familiar with your retailer’s patterns

4/16

Each site varies when it comes to sale season; Net-a-porter, for instance, holds two sale season per year. Others might have a special sale section, with under-appreciated gems on discount throughout the year. The only question is, can you find something that tickles your fancy? Andres Sosa, executive vice president for sales, marketing and creative at The Outnet.com says, “We upload our new inventory onto the site every Tuesday in the morning. So here’s a tip: visit our website at around 6pm Singapore time on Tuesdays to have the first look at the latest curation of products.” Duly noted!



Photo: Theoutnet

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Look out for dresses

5/16

Newsflash: Dresses sell out the fastest. Fun fact: Sosa notes that “they’re not just popular here; they are our customers’ most searched item around the world”. All things considered, it’s safe to say that the dress section should be your first port of call; pick out all of the designs you like, drop them into your cart, and then take your time weeding out the ones you can do without.



Instagram: @netaporter

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Suss out seasonal colours

6/16

Consider giving seasonal colours a shot when it comes to bags and small leather goods. Most people will be out to swoop up the more classic colours from the permanent collection (oh hey, boring browns and blacks). Bags in trendy colours will usually be the ones on sale because well, it takes balls to rock a bright fuchsia crossbody. So if your wardrobe is lacking some colour and you’re ready for a dash of burgundy and more, definitely wait for these bags to go on sale.

 

Photo: Showbit

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Use filters to find what you want quickly

7/16

Fair warning: Online catalogues are one massive tumble down the rabbit hole that can easily consume an entire afternoon and then some. To avoid that and to find what you want first before someone elses hoards it, use the filter section well. Remember, keep your eyes on the prize.

 

Photo: Net-a-porter

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Subscribe to mailing lists and sort out your emails after

8/16

You should always subscribe to the newsletters of your favourite sites, so the brands can inform you when they are having a promotion, which will in turn help you save money in the long run. Apart from that, you need to sort out your emails and possibly direct all newsletters to a dedicated folder. That way, you can access all of them at a glance.



Photo: Net-a-porter

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Have a look at pre-owned items

9/16

There’s really no shame in procuring pre-loved items; sometimes, they might even be in mint condition. There are a surprisingly large pool of folks who resell their gifts or give up stuff that are in a wrong size, so check out some tried-and-tested legitimate sites – you might just stumble upon the bag of your dreams.

 

Instagram: @mydreambag

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Have patience

10/16

If you have a unique sense of style, wait it out before taking the plunge. Odds are the pieces you prefer won’t be snatched up all that soon, and prices might drop even further the longer you hold out.

 

Photo: Showbit

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Follow brands on social media

11/16

Social media is such a powerful branding tool; your fave brands are almost certainly posting sales, newest updates and basically any important information on their social media platforms. Follow them on say, Instagram, and get the deets straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.



Instagram: @theoutnet

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Look out for discount codes

12/16

If you notice that there is a live chat session on the site you’re stalking, you can politely ask for a discount code. Sometimes, you might hit the jackpot on discount codes that you might not otherwise been able to find.

 

Photo: Asos

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Don’t be impulsive

13/16

Add items to your cart, let it simmer for a bit and then think long and hard about whether they are well and truly must-haves. Do not buy something just because it’s on discount: Even though you’re technically saving money by purchasing it, you’re not going to get much mileage out of an item you’re only going to be wearing once.

 

Photo: Asos

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Before purchasing, do a smart comparison

14/16

Use aggregate shopping sites like Polyvore and search for the item you’re about to purchase. Polyvore will collate a list of items across different online platforms, for you to compare prices and make a smarter purchase. Knowledge is power!



Photo: Polyvore

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

Add to wishlist

15/16

If the item you like isn’t in stock or not on sale, add it to your wishlist, especially on aggregate sites like Polyvore. The site will tip you off when they’re back in stock or on sale again. That way, you won’t have to beat yourself up over a missed opportunity when the sale starts one day after your purchase.

 

Photo: Polyvore

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge

 

Compare your stats with the model

16/16

It’s really really important to compare your stats with the model wearing the clothes you want to buy. That way, you can imagine it on yourself. Plus, if they have a short runway video, as is the case on ASOS, watch it to see how the clothes really fit and flow on a moving body. Take a flare skirt for example; a model might be shot donning it in mid-twirl but in reality, the skirt can look really flat and lifeless. Only by watching the video can you discern how it might look on you. I mean, if it doesn’t sit right on a lanky model, what are the odds of it looking good on mere mortals? Bin it and move on.



Photo: Asos

 

READ MORE: Traditional treatments and ancient foods for radiant skin and to detox or not to detox: we present the evidence, you be the judge