Everyone Loves A Sale

Everyone loves a sale, especially if you're in the market for some serious retail therapy. But when is an "everything must go" sale? And when do retailers discount new merchandise to make room for fall fashion? These are not simple questions that can be answered by looking at the current sales rack. Sometimes, retailers will use clearance racks, which means they've started the process of selling their stock and need it gone before they can move onto something else. Other times, stores will set up a sale event to get rid of items that didn't sell over last holiday season or after Christmas.

And let's not forget online shopping, where everything is already marked down to "sale" prices. But no matter where you purchase your items, here are some other tips on making sure you're getting the best deal possible.

Understand What You're Buying First

We're used to seeing luxury goods going on sale – right down to designer bags, sunglasses and even cosmetics. These are all products that are usually discounted by the manufacturer once they've hit a certain point in their life cycle. However, many retailers buy these products back from the manufacturer – for a deep discount – in order to make room for new products or simply move old inventory quickly.

This is how you wind up paying less for a brand name purse or perfume than you would if you were to buy it directly from the manufacturer. In some cases, it may have been more expensive to manufacture than what your retailer paid for it, so they'll discount that item to make room for new inventory.

Know The Actual Price of Items before You Buy Them

When an item has already been marked down and the store has made room for other items at their current price points, there are two ways everything can go once it hits the sale rack. First, there may be limited quantities remaining at the original price. And second, there may not be any available at all. If you see a sale item that you like, and it's out at the original price on the rack, it could be gone quickly.

If you need to see how much an item costs before you make a purchase, take the opportunity to peruse the store's price tag display. Retailers put up price tags in order to display prices for consumers in different scenarios as well as for advertising purposes. In addition to displaying the price of items, this display can also give you information about shipping or tax fees – even if it doesn't sell items from its website. Unfortunately, these displays are often filled with stocking prices and promotions – not accurate pricing information for products.

Every item that is sold on a retail floor or in a department store has an actual price. And if you're not sure what the price is, ask the sales associate. She can usually give you the best pricing advice. If she won't tell you, stop and ask another associate or find out for yourself on a computer with an internet connection.

Shop Around before You Buy

Sometimes, sales are so popular that all of the stores have to stock your item at the same time – which means there's no guarantee that it will ever be sold on a shelf again. So don't be afraid to question whether you'll need to come back and buy more after the sale. You won't find the same deal at every store, so take the time to shop around.

You can also take advantage of sales that are provided by outside retailers. Many stores have been known to oversell, which means you may be able to get a better price online at the retailer's e-store before buying anything in-store. But make sure you're getting the best price from an outside retailer – not a competitor that's trying to get in on some of the business by posting a lower price on an item that they don't actually have in stock.

Buy the Right Pair of Shoes

If you're not sure whether a store's sale is actually good, the best way to find out is to go back again sometime in the future. You may need to go back three or four times – and perhaps take some shoes with you so you don't get stuck in your new purchase. You'll probably have better luck getting a deal if you do a little research before going for that pair of shoes.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying shoes online involves price matching – and it's something that can be easily avoided. First off, please note that a lot of stores – including major retailers like Nordstrom and KMart – don't allow their customers to price match. So if you see an online retailer offering the same deal and you want to take advantage of it, you should make sure and do your homework beforehand. That way, you'll be able to price match something at a lower price than what is being offered by the original retailer.

No matter how much time someone else has spent on your shoes, it's always best to stick with what you know before making a purchase. If you're not happy with the shoes in any way, let them know right away and go with another option that fits better.

Sometimes it's not the actual price that's important – it's the perception of value. If you're looking for something specific and broken down, a sale rack may have something that you can't find anywhere else. If it works out better for you and you can afford both, go ahead and pull the trigger on that pair of shoes in the store.

Get to Know Other Consumers

There are other consumers who may be more knowledgeable about sales racks than you are. The type of sales rack is important because they represent what they sell throughout the year. If you're not careful, you may be caught in a stalemate when the sale is over.

Make sure that the sales associate can answer any questions that you have about what you want to buy. You don't have to rely on them to sell this item - but they should be able to answer your questions before you even need to ask them. Make sure they can tell you how many shoes or shirts are in stock at the time of the sale and what the original price of these items are. Then make sure that they have enough available for everyone who wants one – and make a note of it.

Conclusion

When you understand what you want to buy and how it's being priced – and you're able to answer all of your own questions about it – you'll be able to take full advantage of sales racks like a pro. The more knowledgeable you are, the easier the decision process becomes. And the more educated you are, the more money you'll save by using sales racks.

You have all the resources that anyone could ever need at your fingertips: a computer and a catalog of possible items that you could purchase. And once you know what your options are and how much each one is worth, retail stores won't be able to hide as much from your curious eyes.