MoneySaver

Confessions of a Shopgirl
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This is a guest blog by Bonnie Ho, 16 Feb 2009

There are many natural enemies of the MoneySaver folk, and one in particular is that of the ‘Shopgirl’. They lure you into a false sense of security with Nora Jones easylistening soundtracks, maybe an oil burner or two, and comfy chairs for the weary men. But don’t be fooled by these, or their perky Sunday School smiles and shiny name tags – the Shopgirl is a hunter, and you are her prey. An encounter could be lethal – to your credit limit anyway.

I’ve got a confession; I was once a Shopgirl, so let me make my way across enemy lines and let you in on a few trade tips on how to work the shop floor like a pro, and go home happy.

Make a list and check it twice.

It (literally) pays to go prepared. So when that little voice inside your head starts going ‘oohh, pretty red shoes – be my sole-mate’, you can go all ‘Andrew O’Keefe’ and ask yourself ‘is it on The List?’ Another alternative is online shopping where you can shop anytime sans the salesgirl practicing her Criss Angel style ‘Objection Handling Sales Training’ on you.

But if you go out in the woods today … try to go when you’re not too vulnerable to blowing the budget. The easiest example being shopping for a Big Event Outfit at the last minute; you will spend more, buy extra, and probably not even like it when you get home. I would always make the biggest commissions on sales involving upcoming job interviews, weddings, hot dates, as well umm, pregnant people. And men – don’t think you’re immune now – watching you all stumble in on a Mother’s Day morn looking rather panicked was like shooting fish in a barrel. *Sigh* And they say shopping’s not a sport.

Baby got (her money) Back.

All I can say is that refund policies are the wolves in sheep’s clothing of the shopping world. As a Shopgirl, stating seemingly generous refund policies; ‘you have three weeks to exchange or refund’, was like the ‘Open Sesame’ of the retail world when it came to people’s wallets. Refunds don’t work well for the shopper on so many levels – because we are as people, inherently lazy. Hands up who has a guilty little shopping bag complete with shiny tags attached hidden in the depths of their wardrobe? And say you do get round to actually returning it, watch out for the salesgirl trying to talk you out of it, or appeasing you with a credit note – whereby the store keeps your money and hands you a slip of paper which is crumpled and left to expire in the bottom of your handbag.

Timing is everything.

If possible, shop off-peak, as not only will you get better service and breathing space, but if it’s a bargain you’re after the Shopgirl will be more open to negotiation when the tills are a bit quiet. These off-peak times vary with location; if you’re in the city centre a weekday mid-morning and late afternoon are best, but forget all semblance of sanity during lunchtime rush hour. If you’re shopping at leisure locations such as tourist strips or shopping centres, the opposite applies, with lunchtime the best time to tick off that shopping list.

Location Location

Location is also key – while factory outlets have long been the bread and butter of any true MoneySaver, they are not all created equal. For example a successful chain factory outlet recently opened in the Melbourne CBD has more expensive price points than its suburban cousin, the mindset being that metropolitan bargain hunters want newer stock and are willing to pay for it. Their suburban cousins however are believed to be more accepting of older stock while demanding lower price points. So, basically save your time and money by working out which category you fit into.

And never be afraid to ask for a faulty discount; damaged items can fetch up to 50% off original prices, or alternatively you can ask the retailer if they would be willing to organise or pay for an item to be cleaned/repaired.

So there you go – a message from beyond the shop counter. Hopefully armed with this information you can go out and shop ‘til you drop … as opposed to your bank balance!