Sales as good online as in-store

The sales have started which means it’s time to sharpen your elbows and join the annual battle at the tills. Or is it? Do you really need to fight the crowds, the snow, and that menacing fashion victim who claims she saw those half-price sandals first? You can now enjoy the magic of the sales from the comfort of your own home, by hunting for bargains on the websites of the major high-street stores.

Sales die-hards don’t have to sleep in a freezing tent for days to be first through the door. They can sleep in their own bed, make a cup of tea, and log on the minute their favourite store’s online doors open. Although Selfridges and House of Fraser offer little for shoppers via their websites except gift vouchers, most of the major department stores and chains replicate their high-street sales online.

Often they offer exactly the same discounts on the same products. One advantage of shopping online is that you get to the bargains first. Boots and Debenhams both kicked off their online sales on December 22, but didn’t cut prices until Boxing Day. Most items are reduced both online and offline, but in Debenhams there will be some “early bird” offers available only in branches. These will include a £250 Jasper Conran cashmere blend overcoat for £125 and a £90 DKNY bracelet watch for just £45, against the usual sale price of £63, plus a range of other cut-price offerings.

John Lewis started both its online and offline sales on December 27, but you stand more chance of snapping up a bargain at one of its stores, where there are price cuts on a massive 500,000 product lines. In contrast, only 15,000 items are reduced online. Deals include 30% off selected handbags from DKNY, Fiorelli, Longchamp and Radley, 40% off watches by Quicksilver, Diesel, Storm and Seiko, and 50% discount on end-of-line Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Phillips TVs.

Clothing chain Next opened its stores to sales-hungry shoppers at 5am on December 27 and the price-cutting went online at 6am, giving surfers an extra hour in bed. Next will offer the same deals on its website, cutting prices by up to 50%. Offers include a women’s black and white striped jacket reduced from £69.99 to £34.99, with matching trousers reduced from £34.99 to £16.99.

If you do opt to stay at home there is always the danger that your chosen store’s website could crash under the weight of shoppers. All the major retailers say their sites are up to the potential crush of visitors, but some, including Debenhams’ site, have occasionally groaned under the weight of Christmas shoppers, and the real test is yet to come.

Another drawback with online shopping is that you may have to pay delivery charges. Next, for example, charges £3.50, regardless of order size. You can order your goods online and pick them up for free at one of its 240 stores, although this may defeat the object of shopping online Whether you buy online or in the store, retailers generally operate the same returns policies.

Online shoppers also benefit from a statutory seven-day “cooling-off” period, giving you the unconditional right to return any item you aren’t happy with. But if you keep your receipts, most stores will allow you to return unwanted goods in up to 14 or 28 days, provided they are in a resaleable condition. There are bargains to be had online, but hardened sales fans know there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and rummaging through the racks for a real snip.

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