Marketing and operations manager Joanne Wong is not tearing her hair out over what to wear this Chinese New Year. She bought her outfit early - at a sale on Boxing Day.
The 35-year-old spotted the new dress during Robinsons' post-Christmas sale. Enjoying a 70 per cent discount with an additional 15 per cent off , she paid $60.95 for a dress that originally cost $239.
Indeed, there is no better time to shop than now, with the global economic downturn prompting retailers here to hold bigger, better year-end sales to encourage spending.
In fact, the festive sales began much earlier last year, with many retailers bringing forward their sales by two to four weeks before Christmas.
And judging from the crowds at department stores during the pre- and post-Christmas sales, there were many shoppers like Ms Wong who bagged bargains.
Customers have been heading to department stores such as OG, Robinsons, Isetan, Tangs and Takashimaya to take advantage of discounts that range from 20 to 70 per cent.
Shoppers formed long lines outside upmarket boutiques such as Gucci in Ngee Ann City. They snapped up bags and accessories for up to 50 per cent off.
Stores tell LifeStyle that sales are up.
Tangs, which has outlets in Orchard Road and VivoCity, says it has seen sales increase by 40 per cent over the same period last year.
Consumer electronics specialist Audiohouse reports a double-digit increase in sales this season over the same period last year.
Student Cheryl Tan, 21, queued for 15 minutes before she entered the Gucci boutique in Ngee Ann City last Thursday.
She says: 'I've been waiting to buy my first Gucci bag and since it's on sale now, I save money too.'
But many whom LifeStyle spoke to say they were not shopping indiscriminately. Most took the chance to stock up on necessities.
Housewife Julia Pang, 41, says: 'I bought items such as school bags and socks for my children, as well as bedsheets and towels - these are things that we will need for the new year.'
Expectant mother Michelle Yeo, a 24-year-old accounts executive, took advantage of Tangs' 12 per cent rebate sale during the pre-Christmas sale period.
She stocked up on items such as baby wipes, which she will need when her newborn arrives this month. At Isetan's Boxing Day sale, she paid $60 for a flask that she had been eyeing for some time at a 30 per cent discount.
Others waited patiently for the sales to start before buying coveted fashion items.
Lawyer Jeremy Poh, 26, snagged $400 worth of clothes and shoes at the store-wide Zara sale on Christmas Day.
He says: 'Retailers usually entice shoppers with their year-end sales, so I knew it was only a matter of time before I could pick up the items at a discount.'
New furniture for new home
For married couple Adrian and Sharon Tan, the current sale at mid-market furniture store OM could not have come at a better time.
OM, which has showrooms in Joo Seng Road, IMM and Liang Court, is offering discounts that range from 15 per cent off new arrivals to 90 per cent off floor stocks. The sale ends on Jan 13.
The Tans bought a leather sofa, a television console and a dining table set at a discount of up to 55 per cent last month.
Mr Tan says: 'We had been looking around for furniture and it just happened that the sale at OM coincided with the temporary occupation permit of our new place.'
Their new condominium in West Coast Road obtained a T.O.P. in late November and they plan to move in later this month.
Mr Tan, a senior IT analyst, and his wife, a finance manager, have been married for nine years. They are currently renting a five-room flat in Bukit Panjang and live with their two young children, aged five years and three months, and Mrs Tan's mother.
The couple are also taking the opportunity to give their new home a new vibe.
While their current home has a resort-feel, with lots of solid wood furniture and light-coloured sofas, their new home will be more modern with a black and white theme.
They started saving up for new furniture when they bought the condominium in 2007. They have set aside $20,000 for furniture and minor renovations.
'We like change,' says Mrs Tan.
What they bought
Black three-seater leather sofa: $4,000 (49 per cent off)
Television console: $800 (55 per cent off)
Dining table and six chairs: $1,700 (35 per cent off)
Total spent: $6,500
Total savings: $5,768
She spent $2,000 on shoes
IndoChine's group marketing manager Clementine Rogers sashayed to a New Year's Eve party last Wednesday in a head-turning long black dress by Australian designer label Willow.
She had bought it for $600 at one of the pre-Christmas sales - at half the original price.
The 34-year-old, who is married with a three-year-old daughter, usually spends about $2,500 on shopping each month. But this festive season, thanks to the dizzying sales all over town, she spent more than $4,000 on clothes and shoes.
If there is one thing that makes her go weak at the knees, it is beautiful shoes.
She spent more than $2,000 in total in the days leading up to Christmas at On Pedder, a multi-label designer shoe store in Ngee Ann City.
The fashionista said cheekily: 'I would starve just to buy a pair of shoes.'
What she bought
Christian Louboutin platforms: $1,120 (20 per cent off)
Chloe flats: $400 (50 per cent off)
Giuseppe Zanotti heels: $660 (40 per cent off)
Willow dress: $600 (50 per cent off)
Calvin Klein blazer: $200 (60 per cent off)
Calvin Klein skirt: $100 (50 per cent off)
Alexander Wang top: $400
Alexander Wang skirt: $600 (50 per cent off)
Total spent: $4,080
Total savings: $3,120
Watching plasma TV in bed
For a month, 50-year-old carpenter Wong Suwee Kee mulled over whether or not to buy a television set for his bedroom.
So when he saw an advertisement for a pre-Christmas opening sale at Audiohouse in Liang Court, he jumped at the chance.
He bought a 42-inch flat-screen TV for $2,499, which originally cost $3,999.
He says: 'This is my first plasma TV and I bought it as a Christmas present for myself.'
The divorced father of two children, aged 11 and 14, already has a TV and a home entertainment system in the living room of his four-room Housing Board flat in Woodlands. He spent about $5,000 on them when he moved there in 2002.
But the thought of lying down and watching TV in bed has always appealed to him.
He adds with a smile: 'It's for my kids too. They can watch TV in my room when they come home from school.'
What he bought
Pioneer 42' HD plasma television set with sound system: $2,499 (37 per cent off)
Total spent: $2,499
Total savings: $1,500
This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Jan 4, 2009.
