The average middle-class family in India spends around 7% of its yearly income on clothing and accessories. While men have traditionally been lower key in their fashion needs than women, their numbers are beginning to pick up. With access to the Internet through affordable smartphones rising in India’s small towns, male shoppers are beginning to learn about the pleasures of fashion.
All of a sudden, men in places outside of the major urban centers have access to something other than the tired and dusty stores that they’ve always known. Shopping for clothes is certainly an exciting new thing to do for India’s youth. The only problem, of course, is finding the resources for it. There’s hope, though, when you know how to go about navigating this new shopping medium.
Pay more for higher-quality clothing
It might seem paradoxical to suggest that buying expensive, high quality clothing could help you save. It easily stands to reason, though — higher quality clothing tends to offer higher levels of satisfaction, meaning that one doesn’t feel the need to buy as often. Higher-quality clothing tends to last much longer, too.
Refuse to buy anything at full retail
Sales at the online shopping sites are fairly regular in India, even predictable. Online deals are always there for the taking. Each site tries to outdo the others with different kinds of offer. There’s no reason to pay full retail for anything. All you need to do is to wait for the right discount, and then pounce. Subscribing to updates at the best fashion retail sites is a great way to get a heads up.
Coupon hunting is vital
While the West has been clipping coupons for ages, the newly consumerist societies of China and India are only now waking up to it. India has a healthy crop of coupon websites online now. Looking at them each time you plan a purchase is an excellent way to come by some healthy discounts. If you want to buy a few pairs of pants on Jabong, for instance, you could simply go on GrabOn, get a couple of discount coupons, and easily knock 20% off your purchase. Considering that online purchases tend to be priced lower than retail prices to begin, coupons are an excellent way to shop
You don’t necessarily need to stick with the major brands
New brands are coming up all the time, and are exceeding the major names on quality and price. As long as you know how to judge quality, it’s always a good idea to look outside of the major brands. You’ll get some amazing deals. You can always return purchases that don’t come up to standards, there’s little risk buying online.
Apply for a credit card
While most people in India’s vast middle-class could get credit cards if they wanted, they tend to stay away. They’ve read horror stories about what happens when you overspend on the. Credit cards, though, mean big discounts everywhere in the online world. You can easily snag a 10% discount just paying with certain popular credit cards. As long as you know how to use credit cards responsibly without ever having to pay interest, they are a great way to get some discounts.
Try to buy once a year
Where the West has Christmas, India has Diwali as its major commercial holiday, India has Diwali. Deeply discounted sales begin as early as October, and can offer staggering benefits. As long as you can be patient the rest of the year, you can have a ball when the sales turn up.
Sue Porter is a working mom and a confirmed savvy shopper who often finds a way to buy into fashion trends without emptying the bank. She likes to share her tips and insights online and writes for a number of different websites.
