Getting to Know your Favourite Store

With very little time to shop, it is very important for me to get the latest looks, without spending hours at shopping centres or driving to great lengths across town, to do so. I find that doing my research at home first, is the best way to start.

These days, I get inspiration from magazines or the internet, and I find that I'm useing the internet and the telephone a lot more in the decision-making and purchasing stages.

It's important to find out all you can about your favourite stores, as the modern-day fashion store is so much more than just the shopfront. There's online shopping, catalogues, special calendar events, private sales, loyalty programs, clearance outlets, telephone purchasing, discount vouchers, newletters and special offers.

Traditionally these have only been offered by large department stores, but now smaller chain stores and individual retailers are jumping on the bandwagon.

For example, a simple call to my favourite Veronika Mayne store provided me with some valuable information. I found out that they receive new items weekly, not just a big delivery of stock at the beginning of each season, and that they usually always have some reductions on items. Some Veronika Mayne garments are cleared at reduced prices through Cue Clearance at Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) in Homebush and Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre. So next time I'm looking for a nice Veronika Mayne piece, I'll start at those DFO stores - but I also know that new items will come into my local Veronika Mayne store regularly, so it needs to be on my 'regular visit' list too.

This sort of information is usually not advertised, so it's necessary to do some investigative research. You will find the cost in time and money minimal, but the savings you'll make are well worth the effort.