Feature
Snag a Bag
Samantha Cabrera
The thing with online stores is that there’s always a bag on sale somewhere. This can be good or bad for your bank account, depending on how you treat it.
As mentioned before, online stores sometimes have drastic markdowns, so the chance that your sale dream bag is a final sale is a solid one. Some sites do have exchange policies (meaning you can exchange the bag for store credit, in the event it is returned unused and in the original condition), but be sure to read the fine print. Most online boutiques have live chat or a 1800 number if you can’t find enough details on their website.
Boutique-ing Boutique stores have taken over in a major way in the past decade. Like the It bag, boutiques seemed to pop out of nowhere, and before you knew it, there were several in every major city, usually specializing in some sort of contemporary wear, footwear, or accessories. Boutique shopping is arguably the best of the shopping experiences since it allows you to shop at your leisure, in most cases. I’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to an early morning trip to a cute shop looking for a relaxing way to take our mind off of things, only to be hounded by the convenient sales associate that lurks around every corner. The key here is to be aloof and discerning, as associates can sniff out a girl who knows her stuff the way a dog sniffs out a piece of raw steak. Building a relationship with a boutique SA is well worth the effort, especially come sale time. A good SA will give you a ring when upcoming sales are in the near future, and most of the time, they will pull things for you, especially if you know you’re going to buy and hand over your payment information on the spot. This eliminates the need to shop the sale in the first place, as that lovely watermelon Muse (yes, I can’t wait until this one’s marked down!) can arrive at your doorstep in the exact same manner it would have had you paid full price.
The upside of building a relationship with a SA from a brand boutique (think Chanel, YSL, Prada) is they can often pull from another store. So if you know exactly what you’re looking for (and you should come equipped: style number, bag name, retail price, and color code, if you can), inventories can be checked, phone calls can be made and your next trip to the store may involve picking up your bag on sale. To build this relationship can sometimes take time depending on the size of the store, and how high traffic is, but make yourself known. When you visit, ask questions, and make it clear what bag you’re interested in. If purchasing something isn’t in the cards, request that you’re put on the store’s mailing list, as to keep up with events. “Events,” in the eyes of many boutiques translates to trunk shows, and yes, sales.
The client/SA relationship is also crucial (if not more so) for the independent boutique sale. Usually these sales are advertised once in the local major newspaper, and the client list is consulted for making folks aware of the upcoming markdowns. Smaller boutiques often let clients shop the sale early, and reserve items for the day of the sale. This isn’t always the case, but it’s worth looking in to if you plan on getting a Derek Lam bag on sale. Most independent boutiques have a strict final sale policy year round, so if you can’t physically get to the shop to check out the bag, be sure to request pictures to ensure it’s a safe purchase. Don’t let the notion of 30% off cloud your mind, because an expensive bag is still an expensive bag and if you’re stuck with something you don’t want…well, that’s never a good thing, regardless of the “deal” you got.
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