Post-Christmas sales have started. Shops tempt with promotions, and shopping malls are full of customers. And even though Christmas expenses have hit our budgets, it doesn't stop us from going on a shopping spree.
After Christmas, the shopping frenzy returned. Shops tempt you with sales that are hard to resist. – The slogan “sales” always works for me, because I'm a huge sales person and I always buy everything on sale – says one of our interlocutors.
Just empty the warehouses before the new year
Traditionally, winter sales started on Friday, the first day after Christmas, and are very popular.
– The stores suggest to us that it is very cheap, that it is a great, unique opportunity, and there is some truth in that it is actually cheaper than before the holidays. The reason is that the pre-Christmas frenzy is over and the stores want us to keep buying, so they are lowering prices a bit – says Prof. Piotr Krajewski, economist from the University of Łódź.
In many cities, shopping can be delivered to your home, and in Slovakia there is a store with home deliveryPaweł Abramowicz/Fakty TVN
Stores fight for customers, overprice products, and use various marketing tricks. The goal: maintain sales and empty your warehouses before the new year.
– We bought a food processor and there was actually a promotion – says one of our interlocutors.
The hottest time of the year for traders
Cheaper cosmetics, clothes, shoes, electronics, but also toys and Christmas decorations – customers have plenty to choose from. We can only be limited by our budget. There are ways to take care of it.
– Comparing prices with other stores, checking whether the discount is a real or fictitious one, whether we can return a given product to the store, but we also have to be careful when we buy online and see a huge opportunity – especially luxury, very cheap products – he points out Piotr Krajewski.
December is the hottest time of the year for traders. Sales are breaking records. However, this is an extremely difficult month for our wallets.
– Let's remember that even if we buy something for PLN 50 and not for PLN 100, and we don't need it, we actually lose PLN 50. Let's think twice before buying something – emphasizes Piotr Krajewski.
The slogan “sale” can act like a magnet on us. Although after the holidays, most of our budgets are already very strained. We spent an average of PLN 1,576 on this year's holidays. This is as much as 8 percent more than last year.
How much did the average family spend on Christmas? IBRIS
– Some people save money just to come to sales, i.e. post-Christmas shopping – points out one of our interlocutors.
In total, Poles spent as much as PLN 22 billion on Christmas. Half of these expenses are gifts. We most often bought toys, sweets, clothes, electronic equipment, books and jewelry. There were other gifts too.
– Santa Claus was also kind and not all in gifts, some in cash – says one of our interlocutors. And you can spend the cash on post-Christmas sales.
– I'm looking for what I had in mind earlier and whether it's on sale now – says our interlocutor. – I'm waiting for sales, because at current prices it's really difficult to buy at normal prices – adds another interlocutor.
As long as we do it wisely and take care of our finances, and the shopping frenzy can overwhelm not only our wallets.
Main photo source: TVN24