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If all Father Christmas brings you is a pair of novelty undies and a slanket, or worse, an actual pile of coal, stop despairing and start shopping. There’s more to Boxing Day than being allowed to scoff a Chocolate Orange for brekkie and being forced to stomach turkey curry for every meal until New Year. It’s an opportunity for some serious sale shopping as the stores slash their prices at this most wonderful time of the year. But you can’t rely on your street-smarts and a smattering of good luck for bagging a bargain: you need precise military-style planning coupled with a great deal of patience. Here are five tips to help you snaffle some loot.
1. Do a reccy beforehand, scope out what you want and where in the shop it’s located. The Americans didn’t head into Vietnam without having any idea of the landscape did they? Oh, wait.
2. The shops are going to be more jam-packed and stuffier than the Central line at rush hour. Wear light layers that you can take off and carry but that won’t obstruct your arms as you’re reaching for that incredibly useful silver skirt that you’ve had your eye on all season.
3. Most sales guides will tell you to avoid OTT pieces that you love but might never wear. We say balls to that! This is the time to buy something utterly ridiculous that you’ll wear only once because now you can afford to.
4. Having said that, remember the general rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t have looked twice at it when it was full price, step away now. Questionable choices are best reserved for Tinder, not your wardrobe.
5. Bag a bag – that way you don’t need to worry about it being comfortable or fitting you properly and thus avoid changing-room hell. Then, Christmas money spent, you can leave the hideous sale scrum for the comfort of the pub. Mission accomplished.
Need some inspo for your route? Here's our 100 favourite shops in London.