ONLINE SHOPPING FOR FASHIONISTAS!
Online shopping has become so popular in the last couple of years that no shop can nowadays manage to do without offering its customers the possibility to order goods online. The reasons for the recent boom of online shopping are diverse: First of all, the sales figures of various gadgets which enable their users to surf the internet on the go have gone through the roof. As a consequence, people have the opportunity to shop online all day and they make use of it more and more often via mobile express payments. Secondly, online shopping is now as safe as never before. Whereas in recent years people were often worried about fraud, misuse of their personal data like credit card information, viruses and hackers, technology now allows customers to buy goods on the internet without having to worry about security issues. This said, what does that mean for us fashion-addicts?
Compare prices on the spot
Mobile payment offers great possibilities for any of us. Let’s for example assume you spot a beautiful dress in a shop window, but you want to make sure that you don’t pay too much for it and rule out the possibility that you can find it cheaper somewhere else. Years ago you would have gone to other stores, asked for the exact same dress and would have compared prices. With the internet having become mainstream you would have searched for an internet café, paid some money and tried to find the dress in question and the respective prices on the web.
Now, however, you can do exactly that directly in front of the said shop window. Compare prices and if you find out that you can’t get it cheaper anywhere else, go in and buy it. If you see it for less money anywhere else, you can order it online instantly. Even if you don’t have enough money on your account at that moment, you can transfer money easily, safely and in a matter of seconds to enable your purchase. This way, you can always be sure to get the best deal possible.
THE ART OF ONLINE SHOPPING
As the culture of online shopping begins to move to the sofa, looking online for the latest trends and styles, it is important to know how to use your online shopping time as effectively as possible, after all shopping is an art and needs to be treated as such. Of course, finding the best price for your purchases is extremely important so you will know when you have truly mastered your art when you are as able to go out and buy dinner after your shopping spree!
Although it’s a constant source of temptation because of all the shiny and exciting things it introduces us to, the internet can actually help you master the art of shopping and allow you to stretch your budget as far as possible. We all develop our own online shopping strategies to save cash and create fashion envy among our friends. Here are a few tried-and-tested methods to employ when shopping online.
1) Explore large ranges. For general items such as tops and blouses, retailers such as La Redoute are perfect. However always use a tactical approach; browsing websites can lead to making impulse purchases that empty your purse faster. Before you head online, make a list of the items on your current wish-list and use the sites’ own search toolbars to narrow by size and colour so that you don’t get distracted on your personal shopping mission.
2) Take advice from those in the know. Check in with blogs like Freak Deluxe and Let Me See Your Wears to find the latest fashion must-haves and for inspiration on how to maximise use of your current wardrobe; an alternative perspective can prove bountiful. Blogs and social media work both ways too, so if you are unsure about how to complete an outfit or are looking for a specific item, why not task your Facebook friends or Twitter followers with helping you out?
3) Checking the web for discount codes and offers before you checkout should be a shopping strategy you put into practice without thinking, but there’s more you can do. If you can’t find a discount yourself, again, why not ask for help from your online shopping friends? They might be able to share one with your or know of a similar item that can be purchased elsewhere for less.
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A BARGAINISTA’S DREAM!
I got some info today that I have to share with you guys and dolls, when shopping online you can now HAGGLE! This is something I have been practicing for years, especially when buying my fabrics for new designs. Pretaportobello.com is the first and only online store to offer an instant Haggle function on their new website. This allows customers to bargain with the site just like in a real market!
The art of haggling is not to start too low or the seller will get rubbed up the wrong way and the price will stay high but make a decent offer and you could get yourself a great deal! The site also offers thorough guides to all the markets in London if you want to visit them for real, including useful tit bits of information from where to stay and eat to where the nearest cash points and toilets are !
Pretaportobello want to promote and support British Markets and hopefully with the help of advocates like Mary Portas can prevent them becoming a thing of the past.
Check it out at www.pretaportobello.com and get Haggling!