December has arrived, and Christmas is quickly approaching. To avoid despair when it comes to acquiring the traditional gifts of these dates, it is useful to consider some recommendations to ‘survive’ the Christmas shopping.
Christmas is Europe’s most anticipated and beloved holiday. One of the main reasons Europeans like this holiday is the Christmas sales, which are held by the world’s major retail companies as well as local stores selling unique souvenirs.
During the Christmas season, you can not only buy gifts for family and friends, but also clothes, equipment, sports equipment, and household products at the best prices.
Today, Christmas sale draws foreign nationals, because such sales, which can exceed 80%, do not occur in other nations. As a result, the specifics of European discounts and popular goods that are lucrative to buy during Christmas in Europe will be addressed in this article.
Shopping malls are busiest in the days leading up to the end-of-year holidays. These five shopping techniques will help you avoid feeling discouraged when you go shopping.
1. Make a Shopping List
To begin, it is best to plan ahead of time, making a list of the persons to whom gifts will be given and identifying the sort of gift for each one in order to minimise superfluous purchases made on impulse or whim.
As much as possible, it is best to plan ahead of time when you will make your purchase. If you wait until the last minute, you may not locate what you are seeking for and may be enticed to pay a higher price than usual.
Focus on purchasing only what is on the list to avoid emptying your wallet.
2. Make a Preliminary Budget
Before beginning to shop, it is necessary to create a realistic budget as well as the methods of payment that will be utilised in order to prevent being indebted beyond what each person’s or family’s economy permits.
The budget will help you to plan and organise each purchase. Consider the present that is unique to each member of the family. For example, if one of the kids wants a specific toy, sports equipment, or clothing item, add it as a choice, along with an estimated price and a budget restriction for that gift.
3. Conduct Preliminary Research
Many commercial stores provide discounts on various days during the year’s end celebrations. It is recommended that you conduct a preliminary examination of each business establishment where you normally shop to determine the days when they provide exceptional discounts.
In this manner, the day of the discount will be identified, if it is applied to a certain product or if the percentage of discount is produced by a store loyalty programme or by a specific method of payment such as credit cards.
4. Take advantage of credit card incentives.
Many individuals think of credit cards as an excellent way to get a loan. On Thursdays, clients can receive discounts of up to 20%. Furthermore, on the customer’s birthday, special discounts are available at participating stores.
At the same time, consumers who use their Shopping Mastercard, or Visa Platinum credit cards at connected stores from December 14 to 18 may divide their purchases into up to 12 interest-free instalments. If you do not already have a bank credit card, you can apply for one at this link on the aforementioned dates to take advantage of this promotion.
5. Compare pricing at other retailers and hunt for alternatives
It is recommended that you check the pricing offered by several online stores that sell the product or service that you are looking for. Many stores have social media pages, such as Facebook and Instagram, where you can see what they have to offer. Consider establishing base rates for each present and becoming more cost-conscious.
This is known as the ROPO effect (‘Research Online- Purchase Offline’) or ‘web rooming,’ and it refers to looking for things on the internet and then purchasing them in a physical store, allowing you to compare prices before deciding to buy and be more aware of where the cheapest bargain is.
Finally, it is not advisable to fall into debt during these festivities. It is best to stick to the defined budget as well as the payment method that will be employed in order to prevent debt.
You will be able to consume sensibly and enjoy present purchases made for family members if you plan well and follow these guidelines.
Christmas shopping peculiarities in European countries
It is preferable to travel to Europe in the early 20th of December to avoid missing the peak of Christmas deals and discounts. However, it is worth mentioning that the season of winter discounts varies depending on the country chosen for shopping.
The Christmas season begins in early December with a 10-30% discount on a certain category of goods and finishes before the holiday itself, with discounts reaching up to 40-50%. Buying fall seasonal items, children’s goods, and gifts for adults / children is profitable during this Christmas sale period. After the New Year, the second wave of winter discounts begins and finishes in late January.
