Shopping on sale: Smart and long-term consumption

The best way to shop during a sale is not to deviate from a smart, long-term consumption pattern. We explain how something that may sound obvious is worth giving a second thought when you are browsing enticing sale clothing.

Text: Mikael Vallin
Photos: Ted Olsson

Published 2023-01-10

Sale shopping is something most people enjoy. It's always nice to make a good purchase. What you should be asking yourself though is, what exactly is "a good purchase"? That something costs less money than usual does not necessarily make it a better purchase than it was before when the item was sold at full price. Does that sound strange? We will explain our reasoning in more detail.

Quality over Quantity

When building your wardrobe, we favour quality over quantity. Smart purchases where all garments have a specific function and utility. As people and consumers, we are often easily led when it comes to discounts. Suddenly we think that the flowered shirt we were not at all interested in before is a great purchase because it now only costs half the price. Sometimes it can be like that, but most of the time this becomes mostly a relatively expensive pleasure purchase that adds very limited utility and ends up hanging in the wardrobe.

Look for wardrobe basics

Our advice when shopping on sale is to primarily look for the garments you really need and would use the most. Basics such as plain outerwear, blazers, trousers, sweaters and shirts are worth their weight in gold if you can find them at a better price than usual. Shopping on sale is an excellent opportunity to buy the clothes that are otherwise completely out of reach in terms of price, but which become affordable when the price is reduced. These quality garments often sell quickly when the sale starts, bought by consumers who have already put this strategy into practice.

Discover the sale here

If you have the chance to buy a good garment you really need, which alone costs a little more than two other cheaper garments you don't need as much but which you find exciting, buy the first more expensive garment. In this way, you will build a wardrobe with fewer garments, which you like better, and get more use out of. This is the definition of long-term, sustainable consumption. A purchasing pattern that saves you both money and the time it takes to look for new clothes in stores.

Some very concrete tips on good sale purchases are, for example, well-tailored shoes. They are always up to date and rarely sold. Sometimes, however, a merchant has had them in stock for too long, and as a result lowers the price to clear the stock. The same also applies to jackets and coats in different models, as well as watches from quality manufacturers.

Our favourites from the sale

To the sale

A quality sale is an ocean of possibilities for those who buy long-term, and with knowledge. If you have the presence of mind to navigate your way past that enticing paisley patterned blazer you are intrigued to own, and instead put your money first on the solid colour blazer you will be able to wear a hundred times as often, you have won. The plain basic garment that may not be as exciting to buy, will often be the one that for a very long time will be the best and most fun to own.

Read more: 5 steps to become a more conscious shopper