Don’t know about you, but I haven’t been buying much for the home lately. In fact, when George Osborne and the new ginger bloke started to spell out their “difficult decisions”, it was like the scenes in Jaws when you can hear the two-note motif, but can’t yet see the carnage.
We’re living through scary economic times, they have assured us, but we know there’s worse to come. That said, the stores are as antsy as we are, and therefore making plenty of difficult decisions of their own. So, after a wary look up and down the beach, let’s dip a toe into the summer sales.
Looking at the lists of reductions in my inbox, I’d say discounts are even deeper than last year. There’s no need to settle for a measly 15% or 20% off — 40% is quite the norm, and you can find half-price deals at retailers not known for piling ’em high and selling ’em cheap, including Heal’s and CP Hart. Even Fired Earth is offering half-price deals on sets of kitchen furniture.
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Sale shoppers traditionally divide into strategic and feelgood camps, and there’s much on offer to please both. For good, solid buys you’ll never regret, look at Oka’s clearance (starting on July 8, while stocks last).
The Haninge shelving unit is a set of smart grey oversized kitchen dresser-style shelves (was £2,400, now £1,200; 0844 815 7380, okadirect.com). For a spot of discounted frippery, BHS has Ayanna, a chandelier in a jolly shocking pink (was £120, now £60; 0845 196 0000, bhs.co.uk).
Be aware, though, that a number of shops buy in products especially for the sales. Department stores are the main offenders; they can’t resist the extra footfall.
Even the folk at John Lewis are at it, with numerous “special buy” lines, “bought in to offer customers particularly good value for money”.
Look for before-and-after prices to make sure you are getting a real discount. It feels almost blasphemous to diss John Lewis, so I must add that it’s selling one of my favourite buys this year — the kids’ Farmyard Beanchair (was £50, now £25, 0845 604 9049, johnlewis.com; sale ends July 18).