I did a paper on shopping in America. A surprising fact is how sales often aren't sales. The super cheap stuff at the front of the store is marked up so high that even 30% off is still about the same as a consumer would pay for the garment. For this reason, it's best to price check before buying a clothing item on sale. This way, you know if you're really getting a good deal or not.
Yes, I try to price check before going to a clothing sale. It depends if I am looking for a specific thing though. If I am just going because I am curious then I don't. But usually, I try to go with some item in mind like a skirt and then I can check what the prices at the other stores are like. There are so many stores out there though its hard to find exactly what you would find at each one. For quality, I try to check the fabric material and the percentages of cotton mix, and then I look at the sewing and see how sturdy it is and if it will hold up under whatever I am going to put it through. Will it be a party dress, or will it be an every day work dress. I tend to pay less for something that I won't wear often and therefore try to find them on sale.
To be honest I never do any price checking. In fact since I mostly buy used I don't think it would be of much use. All I do is ensure I know when the thrift store where I normally buy my clothes from gets new stock in. That's always the best time to shop. If I had to buy new clothes from a store then probably I'd be interested in knowing what the clothes [I intend to buy] cost in other stores.
I never do any pricing checking when I go clothes shopping. I don't always go for sales. I buy clothes when I need them. I do shop at discount stores, but sometimes I rather invest in quality clothing that will last me a few years. The only time I was able to get really good deals on clothing was when I worked in a department store. I knew about upcoming markdowns and I had my employee discount.
I don't really do price checking. If I am at a large store--like a department store--that carries a lot of brands I may google an item if I am about to make a big purchase but otherwise I just let it go and buy it. I tend to rely on my judgement as to whether or not an item is worth what it is marked and of course I also factor in how much I like something. If it's over budget and I love it I may buy it but then cut back and not buy anything else that season.
Sales are truly not really sale and their is a reason for the. Here it is, The store still has to make money". Now the manufacturers usually have a recommended price which is often very high so any price under that is called a sale. The store still makes a lot of money no matter what. Sales are really to get items off store shelves quickly so they can be replenished with newer items.
It's a long time since I first realized that most sales are not really sales, just ways to make you buy more. This is why I always to my 'homework' and check in advance, online or offline, if the advertised price (sale) is really discounted. If the price is truly reduced I proceed and buy the items I want. I also tend to avoid stores that blatantly lie about their sales - if they lied once they'll lie again, but not at the cost of my wallet.
I didn't used to check before shopping a sale, but I have certainly learned my lesson. Last year, I bought a beautiful pair of over-the-knee boots at the mall for $216.55, originally marked down from $475. I thought this was a great deal, until I went online to see if anyone had a brown pair as well. Well, Zappos did, and they were selling the boots I'd just bought for $187. I realized then and there to check the prices on everything I buy in a retail store. I'll never get burned like that again if I can help it.
I also don't do any price checks when I am gonna buy clothes. I just go there with the intent of buying what I need. I'm aware that these stores really price their items high, so that even when they reduce the price, they will still profit from it. I think to avoid this, you should do some price checks online so that it would be more convenient.
