Diana Clement: Watch out for hot sales to be in line for real bargains

Sometimes the best bargains can be found on the store's website. Photo / Thinkstock

Savvy shoppers know their sales. They have the dates marked in their calendars and get the best bargains.

Whatever your style or store preference, you can find a bargain if you're willing to put in some research before shopping.

Sale aficionados know the start and end dates of the sale, and when the best deals can be found during that period.

Sales such as Smith & Caughey's, where the prices don't change, are best to visit at the beginning. Others start with relatively small reductions and gradually reduce prices until the stuff is all gone.

If you wait long enough you may get an amazing bargain.

Each shop has a different way of doing things.

Sometimes the best bargains can be found on the store's website, or at least there is a better selection online.

I figured out at the end of the last soccer season that Rebel Sport's sale boots are often just as cheap as overseas stores and its online range is better than in my local store.

Rebel Sport group marketing manager Tanya Laurence says signing up for email updates is the best way to get early notice of sales.

Dropping in towards the end of the sales can be very useful indeed.

My teenage daughter stretches her budget by making a beeline for final clearance tables and rails.

At Farmers and other stores such as The Warehouse there are two types of sales: one is discount events for a specific timeframe; the other is clearance lines, where goods are discounted until they go.

These two retailers use dot labels on the clearance range and if you're lucky you'll get two for the price of one on already discounted goods.

If you're a shopping tart and not wedded to any particular retailers then try salefinder.co.nz.

More deals

• 25 per cent off adidas, Nike, Canterbury, New Balance and Puma at Rebel Sport stores and online this weekend.

• Smith & Caughey's next six-monthly one-day sale is on June 13. Discounts on most categories.

• Half price kids' manchester at Farmers until May 28.