Bargain Shopper Blog

Written By Samantha Lee

If you’ve been in Sydney in the past few months and consider yourself a seasoned shopper, chances are you’ve been swept up in Zara mania.

The Spanish-based retail giant, which opened the doors of its flagship Australian store in Westfield Sydney on April 20, has been met with loads of excitement and about as much controversy.

Shoppers are still flocking to the Pitt St store and enduring checkout queues, seduced by the promise of on-trend and affordable clothing. Considering the brand’s international reputation for bringing catwalk-quality designs to the masses, Zara is already being hailed a game-changer in Australian retail.

But despite all this hype, I’m still left to question whether its overseas reputation has truly been realised here in Australia.

Word from the blogosphere is that Sydney’s store has become a dump-site for leftover European stock. Some unconvinced bloggers have described our Zara as a let-down, particularly those who have shopped at its sister outlets worldwide. Others can’t see what all the fuss is about, providing feedback that nothing in stock looks even remotely catwalk-worthy nor does it live up to expectations about clothing quality.

Visiting the store myself, I failed to find many of the clothing items that I recognised from the collection available online. Zara Sydney’s selection seems to lack the choice of styles and vibrant colours that have won the brand international acclaim. Asking one of the floor staff about its range, she reassured me that this collection was customised and chosen specifically for Australian shoppers, which may explain why much of the clothing and accessories stray from those available overseas.

Admittedly the prices are incredibly reasonable. Shoppers can pick up a pair of tailored pants for $50, t-shirts for $20 and winter knitwear from around $60. The garment quality, however, is still questionable. After attempting to try on several items with broken zippers or missing buttons, I left with two knit jumpers, one of which is already unravelling less than a week later.

What’s your opinion on all the Zara hype? Have you been there yet? Do you think it’s overrated?

And the lessons I learnt from them...

Sifting through my assortment of summer bargains strewn across the bed, my expression shifts from delight (I can’t WAIT to wear that) to confusion (what on earth was I thinking?!). Yes, readers — I, too, make bargain blunders. I make simple mistakes that result in wasted money, wardrobe clutter and a slightly damaged bargain-hunting reputation. So, this year, I am determined to see the errors of my ways and never make the same mistakes again.

Bargain mistake #1

After stumbling across an amazing weekend clearance sale in Alexandria (Sydney’s bargain Hot Spot) in a pop-up boutique, I thought I’d struck gold. A small semi-circle of racks was packed full of premium past season stock. Only problem was... nothing was in my size. After trying on a series of ill-fitting pieces, I finally found a super sexy racer back silk dress with my number on it. One look in the skinny, slanted mirror (which was half covered in reject try-ons and obscured by fellow self-gawking shoppers) told me it was perfect. I bagged the $60 dress (reduced from $250), only to arrive home and find that it, too, did not fit... AT ALL. I then had to go out and buy a new bra, some Hollywood tape, some new shoes and take to it with my sewing kit just to make it work. Bargain? I think not.

Bargain shopping lessons:

• Sizes differ between brands, so don’t assume your usual size will fit. Try before you buy.
• Take a long, hard look in the (preferably straight) change room mirror from a range of distances.
• Get a second opinion on the outfit.

Bargain mistake #2

I’m at the checkout of Witchery and I’m fishing through the bowl of massively reduced-price jewellery on the counter. I LOVE Witchery accessories, and so I pick out a pair of earrings. I thought the red sticker said $5 — it actually said $20 — but I buy them anyway. Still a bargain (they are Witchery after all). I wear them that night bar-hopping, and as I’m running to catch my train home I hear the dreaded tinkle of a broken earring falling onto bitumen. I inspect the surviving earring under the light and realise it was being held together by a wire coil as thin as a fine hair. Should have seen that coming.

Bargain shopping lessons:

• Never assume that a great brand equals great quality. Designer labels make mistakes too, which is sometimes why the product is reduced.
• Inspect the item closely! Look for design faults, marks or scratches and always notify the sales assistant of these before you make your purchase. You could even ask for a further discount. It’s not a bargain if it’s only going to last one night.

Bargain mistake #3

Desperate to spruce up my man’s wardrobe with a few unique tees, I hit Glebe markets on a stinking hot Saturday. It takes me 45 minutes to drive there in Saturday traffic and when I arrive, the Broadway parking lot is a war zone of cars tailing trolley-pushing pedestrians to their vehicles. The markets are a heaving mass of sweaty bodies, I haven’t had my coffee, and my vision is blurry from the heat. I spot a menswear stall and pick out two tees for $50. No, make it four for $80. I may as well, after coming all this way and enduring all this pain! Did I want a receipt? Nah don’t worry — I’m outta here. When I get home, I collapse on the lounge room floor and hold up my purchases.

“Who are they for?” he asks.
 
“You,” I reply sweetly.

“Well, thanks, honey but... well, I don’t think they’re me.”

I take a closer look. Hmm. You mean you don’t like loose fit, round-neck choker tees with skull-and-cross-bone graphics? Oh. My bad. In my rush to escape the sweltering markets I’d bagged whatever t-shirts were at arm’s length. I mean, I had to get something to make the trip “worth it”, right? Wrong.

Bargain shopping lessons:

• Shopping for someone else is always a risk, but if you do it — pay attention to their style, and always keep the receipt.
• Consider the weather conditions and how this will affect your shopping trip — sunshine and rain can both cause chaos with traffic, parking and crowds.
• Be prepared with an umbrella, coat, hat, sunscreen and water, depending on the weather. Being comfortable helps you to make better decisions when you’re shopping.

What bargain shopping mistakes have you made and what did you learn from them? Comment below or email bargainguru@universalmagainzes.com.au.

Bargain Shoppers Guide to Melbourne editor, Beth Anderson, shared her hottest bargain shopping tips for Christmas on Channel 7’s Today Tonight program on Monday 23 November.

Christmas is nearly upon us, and while everyone is looking forward to getting together with family, slicing the ham and cracking open the champagne, Australian families are not looking forward to outlaying hundreds in hard-earned cash on Christmas presents. With interest rates on the rise and a recovering economy, families around the country are rethinking their Christmas spend this year.

But to those families who are concerned about blowing their budget on Christmas presents this year, Bargain Shoppers Guide to Melbourne editor Beth Anderson says — never fear

Gift-giving is such an important part of the Christmas tradition, and, thankfully, there are ways you can find the best quality Christmas presents at bargain prices, leaving you with plenty of money left over to enjoy yourself over Christmas and New Year. 

Hear what Beth had to say on Today Tonight about where, when, how and what presents to buy for loved ones this Christmas – on a budget.

Also, follow Bargain Shoppers on Twitter to find out about the best sales in the lead up to Christmas! Follow BargainGuide for Melbourne and BargainGuru for Sydney.

Less than a week to go, ladies and gents, before the fashion behemoth of Topshop opens its first ever Australia-based store in Sydney. Known for making high-end fashion designs affordable, the iconic UK range (which includes Kate Moss Topshop and Topman) will be located on the second floor of Incu’s 256 Oxford Street store in Paddington. Doors will open at 10am on Thursday, 29 October and while TopShop senior buyer Rachel Proud has said she doesn’t expect queues, Bargain Shoppers predicts the lines of high-street-hungry hordes will be longer than the list of men with OTT crushes on Kate Moss, which we assume would be pretty long.

Clothing designed by the multi-talented model will be available, along with creations by Bassike, Topman, Unique, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang and Alexander Wang.  Incu Presents TopShop, as the store is formally known, will stock fashion from Topshop’s 2010 repertoire on a smaller scale than what is available at the retailer’s superstore-style outlets in Britain.

The question on our lips is whether budget-savvy shoppers will be able to find any bargains inside. Having had the pleasure of shopping in the retail chain’s Oxford Circus Mecca in London we can attest to Topshop offering decent prices on up-market designs. Its rrps are said to be in the same vicinity as Sportsgirl’s, which is great news.

There is also a massive incentive offer that might coax you inside (if the lure of the fashion alone doesn’t!). Incu will be running a competition for customers in its first month after opening, giving them the chance to win a trip to London courtesy of Virgin Atlantic and VisitBritain. For up-to-date information on the competition, follow INCU_TOPSHOP on Twitter.

For those who simply can’t wait for Topshop’s reduced-price stock to appear in Australia, jump the queue and get it online from the UK right now! Topshop currently has over 250 designs on sale at its website until stocks last. The Aussie dollar is soaring enough to make these clothes really TOP value.


Are you excited about the opening of Topshop in Sydney? Let us know!

 

 

 

 

Australian shoppers have been crying out for a low cost alternative to buying from supermarket giants. Now, with the opening of budget groceries and goods retailer Costco in Melbourne, locals there have had their wishes granted. But are the savings as good as they say?

US mega-retailer Costco has landed in Melbourne, promising to fulfil the dreams of cash-strapped shoppers by selling top brand products at wholesale prices. Bargain shoppers can buy everything from supermarket items to designer goods (that's right — you can buy a Louis Vuitton handbag with your loaf of bread!). Along with food, clothing and accessories there are nappies, appliances, TVs, automotive supplies and just about everything in between — all for well below recommended retail price.

While the savings made by shopping at Costco are written on the wall, there are a few catches that shoppers need to be aware of, which — depending on your situation — may outweigh the positives of paying less.

Membership fees
Costco is a shopping club, which means to shop there you must pay an upfront (and annual) fee of $60. Paying money to spend money? It sounds crazy, but for regular Costco shoppers the fee ultimately doesn’t amount to much, as the money is fairly quickly redeemed in savings on their grocery bill. The key is to shop at Costco often (at least once a month) to get the most out of your membership. If you only shop there once a year, it may not be worth it. Charging a membership fee is a clever way for Costco to ensure shoppers return to the store regularly.

Also, for every membership card bought, a second card can be given to a friend or family member living at the same residence for free. In effect, for many people the membership fee really only costs $30.

Buying in bulk
Buying in bulk may suit families who live in houses with plenty of storage space. But for singles, couples, students and anyone living in smaller apartments, buying in bulk is difficult. Where do you put the tower of 96 rolls of toilet paper in your one-bedroom flat? The answer — if you’re still keen to bulk up — is to shop with friends. But beware of the Costco rules…

Shopping with friends
While Costco only allows members to make purchases at their store, members are welcome to take two friends along with them for the ride. Regular Costco shopper in the US, Fiona, says that there’s no stopping a large group of friends with two or three Costco memberships between them doing their weekly groceries and divvying the purchases once they leave the store. “It takes a bit of organising, but it’s worth it in the end,” she says.

Worth the drive?
Costco is located at Melbourne Docklands, the equivalent of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, which means for people living out of town the cost of petrol and tolls to drive to Costco might add those dollars saved back onto your grocery bill. Try car-pooling with other Costco members from your area to make the trip worthwhile (and make sure you have a big car boot!). Also keep an eye on the time: parking is free for the first two hours, then $5 per hour thereafter.

No frills
The reason Costco is able to keep prices so low is that they have a no-frills approach, reducing overheads to a bare minimum. These savings are then passed onto the customer. But with low prices comes a low level of luxury. Costco sells clothing, but has no change rooms; and if you’re in a rush, there’s no express checkout to put you through speedily. Shop with low expectations, and you won’t be disappointed.

Sydney warehouse
Before all of you bargain hungry Sydneysiders pack your bags and hit the road to Melbourne, try holding out until the end of next year. While nothing is set in stone yet, the wheels are in motion to open a Costco outlet in Sydney in late 2010. The proposed address is 15-21 Parramatta Rd, Auburn — a much shorter drive than Melbourne!

Have you shopped at Costco? What are the pros and cons in your view? Submit your comment or email bargainguru@universalmagazines.com.au