I recently woke up in the middle of the night and against the advice of all sleep gurus everywhere, I checked Instagram.
And there it was, an influencer friend posting her edit from Net-A-Porter’s 60% off sale. I blearily tapped through her Stories, eventually swiping up on a pair of Prada boots and landing on Net-A-Porter’s site. And so it begun, my 3am sales shopping spree.
Eventually I fell back asleep, but not before I’d browsed every single category, including Beauty, and decided I needed the Frame jeans, the Ganni blazer and the bright red ‘Tropicalia’ Isabel Marant tote.
My name is Hannah and I can’t stop sales shopping.
What’s most surprising to me (and my boyfriend who is starting to think I have a problem), is that, despite working at a fashion magazine for several years, I’ve never shopped quite as much as I have in the last few weeks of lockdown.
I partly blame the summer sales, with many retailers offering huge discounts on stock that has mounted up over the past few months of lockdown closures.
In April, figures from ONS showed that retail sales fell by nearly a fifth. And although online shopping as a proportion of all retail reached a record high of 30.7%, it was fashion sales that shouldered the brunt of the plummeting figures.
‘Clothing retailers were the hardest hit as the absence of social interaction, whether that's going to work, seeing friends or heading off on holiday, decimated demand for new outfits,’ said Richard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics.
Fast forwarded a couple of months and there are cries from all sides of the retail landscape announcing huge discounts: ‘Summer Sale Up To 70% Off’ at Liberty; Matches sale ‘Up to 60% Off'; Topshop currently have a simultaneous sale of up to 30% off summer styles, as well as up to 60% off elsewhere, and ASOS are offering 'up to 50% warm weather wins cos plans are officially back.' While M&S is holding a Rainbow Sale, where 10% of the purchase price is being donated to NHS Charities Together.
A retail analyst from Shaw Capital predicted that, ‘This summer will be an absolute bonanza for shoppers and they should be selective and patient because the discounting will continue through the season.’
But for me, it’s not just the tempting discounts that have fuelled my recent shopping habits.
One shoulder swimsuits
At the beginning of lockdown, I trained myself to focus on the now, and what was happening that day – thoughts of an uncertain future felt too anxiety-ridden. But as we emerge from lockdown, I can’t stop thinking about, and shopping for, The Future.
Suddenly, there is possibility again. The possibility of a Future Me who goes to work feeling good about their outfit choice. A Future Me who has a social life that extends beyond going for three walks on a Saturday.
It’s why I bought a neon green gingham dress in the Topshop sale – wasted on Zoom calls, but perfect for that balmy summer holiday evening with sandals, no jumper and a melting ice-cream.
It’s why the Prada boots felt like a good idea, perfect for an autumn wardrobe that meant business (and no slippers).
And while I may be addicted, I’m certainly not alone.
For editor Susannah Otter, the sales have opened up new avenues of shopping: ‘I’ve always loved online sales: the thrill of the hunt, the patient waiting for that 60% off email from Matches and NAP to drop into my inbox. Now, these emails have been joined by something even better: notes from my favourite local boutiques of sales and offers, which make any purchases feel like part of a wider effort to support the places I love and want to visit when we’re all allowed.’
Recent purchases have included a pale pink balloon sleeved sweatshirt from American Vintage and not one, but two navy blue jumpsuits from Toast.
‘Stuck at home, I’ve got even more time to browse and hunt and dream, and order, “just to try”. So far, all my “just trying them on” purchases have somehow stayed in my wardrobe, which I realise (with embarrassment) is something every 3 days at the moment. This feels like an awful lot, and far more than I’d be buying if I was still going into my office every day. But there’s such joy in rushing downstairs to collect a parcel, and now we’re all able to see one another again, my transition out of leggings and back into something more structured feels even more exciting.’
While some people have been using lockdown as a chance to save, others are using any extra income to shop: ‘Everyone is telling me how much they’ve saved during lockdown, meanwhile I’ve reallocated all my TFL and social money to clothes and shoes,’ says parliamentary worker Tara O’Reilly.
ELLE’s Olivia McCrea-Hedley has used a recent urge to shop again as an opportunity to spend her money more wisely: ‘As the world starts to open up again, I felt drawn to the idea of dressing up again. I've found it near-impossible to avoid all the “Sale Now On” emails and notifications (what else is there to do at the moment?), but I've tried to be smart with my purchases. With all the huge discounts, I've been able to afford more well-designed pieces from sustainably focused brands that would usually be out of my price range.’
At the luxury end of the market however, it seems that confidence to shop is not as robust. In early April, luxury spending fell 72% and in early June, it remained down at 37% compared with 2019 according to figures from Earnest Research.
A small focus group of wealthy women in the US conducted by retail researchers Jane Gundell and Faye Landes signalled that there was a reluctance to start spending again.
As one woman told researchers: ‘It’s abundantly clear to me that I don’t need anything.’ Others said that they felt that for the first time, they had ‘enough stuff’.
But for now, as the government bangs on about ‘Build, build, build’, all I can think about is ‘Buy, buy, buy’.
To paraphrase the Prime Minister’s latest slogan, ‘Build back better, build back greener, build back faster’, I’m pledging to ‘buy better, buy greener and buy faster’ – the sales won’t last for ever after all.
Designer Items To Buy In The Summer Sale Final Reductions
GANNI Leopard-print cotton-poplin mini dress
WAS £195
JW Anderson - £312 Keyts patchwork small leather and suede shoulder bag
WAS £780
Prada - £218 65 suede mules
WAS £545
Max Mara Metallic wool-blend twill trench coat
WAS £2025
Isabel Marant Georgina twist-front stretch-crepe top
WAS £470
The Row - £684 Natasha satin maxi dress
WAS £1,140
Self-Portrait Embellished striped cable-knit cotton-blend sweater
WAS £250
Marysia Mott scalloped halterneck swimsuit
Was £295
REJINA PYO Zoe ombré leather sandals
WAS £380
GANNI + Net Sustain Floral printed underwired swimsuit
WAS £155
Stella McCartney Zip-embellished acid-wash denim jumpsuit
WAS £890
Shrimps Blaze faux-pearl embellished headband
WAS £165
Neous Calpa leather mules
WAS £460
Molly Goddard Shickle canvas-strap cotton-paper dress
WAS £1000
Simone Rocha Embellished pleated satin handbag
WAS £375
adidas Originals A.R. Trainer leather sneakers
WAS £75
Isabel Marant Étoile Qing ruffled wrap-front leather mini skirt
WAS £640
Alexandre Vauthier Penelope ruffled organza and patent leather slingback sandals
WAS £660
Zimmermann Super Eight ruffled pintucked mini dress
WAS £895
Danse Lente - £187 Baguette crocodile-effect leather shoulder bag
WAS £375
BY FAR Lily leather mules
WAS £310
Jacquemus Le Vanity mini leather shoulder bag
WAS £255
Sophia Webster Rosalind hourglass-heel suede sandals
WAS £350
Versace Embroidered tie-dyed cotton-jersey hoodie
WAS £750
WAS £340
Cult Gaia - £182.50 Dory feather-embellished beaded crocheted pouch
WAS £365
Shrimps Antonia bead-embellished hair clip
WAS £75
Marni Zipped peplum-hem faille top
Was £930
The Vampire's Wife The Firefly gathered puckered silk-satin dress
WAS £1,495
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