Written by Menswear Style in Business on the 2nd December 2015

Picture yourself strolling through the racks of your favourite clothing store, simply browsing on your lunch break to kill some time and maybe picking up a nice new shirt. Then, imagine your glee as you suddenly spot a glorious clothing rail with a holy 20% off sign hanging above it, and these items are actually wearable in public. This initial thrill can be hard to replicate in the online shopping world, but there are many ways in which consumers can get discounts by looking that little bit harder.

Thanks to online stores having the opportunity to easily install industry standard encryption to their website, in addition to sites like Amazon now introducing a two-fold security step into their checkout, it seems shoppers have fewer reasons to mistrust online stores and now simply have to worry about finding the best deals on their beloved brands. Imagine reaching the online checkout and deciding last-second to buy the items another day, but then being rewarded for that action with an online discount to your inbox. Read on to find out how…

Discount Codes 

Many money saving websites and thrifty shoppers have reported that Urban Outfitters, New Look, Lookfantastic, and many more, all send either half-price deals, free postage, or discount codes to your inbox on items that you bail on just before hitting 'Buy Now'.

Similarly, live online chats via a pop-up window on the retailer’s website have been proven to result in cheaper deals – simply by asking for it. Consumers chatting with representatives from Nike, Dell, and Dyson all stated that they received unique discount codes or money off a particular item. Furthermore, this can be the quickest way to receive help if any particular discount code isn’t working for whatever reason.

Timing 

If you’re in no particular rush to pick up an item, it’s often worth waiting until the end or beginning of the year, as there are sales upon sales around these times. Other than special Christmas and January bargains to be found online and in the high street, frugal and patient consumers can save big when Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals appear on the 27th and 30th of November respectively.

Outside Help 

There are websites that make it their mission to find shoppers the best deals on the internet. Once you tell them your favourite brands and products, Love Sales will monitor the prices and alert you via email when items drop or when sales are starting. And they’ll do it for free as well, giving you more incentive to pick up the coolest products from some of the best designers currently out there.

We discuss the tricks and tips of Online Shopping, featuring Hacks You Need to Know and how to get discounts.