Confessions Of A Sliema Shopaholic: 7 Strategies To Ace Your Black Friday Shopping Spree At The Point
Arguably one of the better things about winter in Malta is the shopping, second only to warm home-cooked meals. From Black Friday weekend to Christmas shopping and end-of-season sales, the bargains are abundant.
Well, Black Friday is just around the corner and you can literally shop till you drop, because The Point will be open until midnight!
It’s kind of like Cinderella but in reverse; the clock strikes 00:00 and you find yourself at home with a brand new wardrobe.
If you have even a hint of shopaholic blood in you, you’ll definitely be able to relate to at least one of these seven shopping stages.
1. Making a shopping list of essentials
A couple of days before ‘the day’, you’ll examine your wardrobe and write down any missing items you might need. A new pair of boots, a dress for your Christmas Gala, maybe even a new scarf.
This way you’ll be able to be as efficient as possible and avoid buying unnecessary items. Well, that’s the plan anyway…
2. Taking the day off and planning to get a head-start
Because you don’t want to risk getting caught in a rush. So the plan is to get up at a reasonable hour, have a quick breakfast at home, and head on out to secure a parking spot within walking distance of all your favourite shops.
Early bird gets the worm… and the discount!
3. Come up with a foolproof strategy
Regardless of whether you’re going shopping alone, with a partner or in a group, you make sure you know exactly where you’re going and when. You might even mark out a route and create a plan of action, squeezing in time for a lunch break to refuel and catch up.
TIP: If you’re not tackling Black Friday alone, pick out a meeting place and time for the end of the day!
4. Pick out the perfect shopping outfit
You’ll want to look good, but be comfortable. And it needs to be something you can slip on and off easily to avoid getting stuck inside a changing room. No shoes with zips, no shirts with buttons, and no trousers that take ten minutes to shimmy into once they’re off.
You’ll also need to factor temperature into your look; warm for the outside November weather but cool enough that you don’t over-heat inside.
5. Purchase a whole load of items that aren’t on your list
You don’t need that sweater, but it’s nice. And that book is perfect for your best friend’s sister’s son. And once you join the gym you’ll need a new pair of trainers. And those Santa place-markers will come in handy if you host an impromptu Christmas lunch…
…and before you know it you’ve got seven full shopping bags and you didn’t even find a good pair of boots.
6. Struggle to return to your car and contemplate your financial situation
Suddenly the 15 t-shirts and three pairs of shoes plus a new set of ceramic plates and an encyclopedia seem excessively heavy. And even though €5.50 per T-shirt seemed like a bargain, you didn’t consider how much that adds up to when there are 15 of them.
Maybe you didn’t need that second leather jacket, after all.
7. Remind yourself what you bought once you get home
You’ll most probably lay everything out on your bed, perform an awkward fashion show for your parents, leave the full shopping bags in your room for three weeks, and then hang everything up in your wardrobe in a colour-coordinated order.
And then pass out on your sofa and dream about going outside in your brand new boots.
You can experience all these stages and more on Black Friday at The Point in Sliema.
The Point will be open from 9am til midnight on the 29th of November, and every shop in the complex will have amazing sales and discounts going on all day.
So if you’re looking for a new pair of boots and want to add to your already-too-crowded bookshelf, you know where to go.