Bagaholicboy Profiles #21 – Riding The GSS Wave!
The Great Singapore Sale (GSS) is starting next month, and I’ve got some tips to help you ride out the storm and come out a better woman; with decent bags in tow. Just follow my to-do checklist and I assure you immediate results that are gratifying.
01. Do Your Research
Start by making a list of brands you like, then start visiting them on a regular basis. Take note of the bags you like (pick three), bags you think you may like (pick another three) and lastly, bags you think your relatives and friends would like (pick three as well). Then when you are done, cross out the ones you think you may like and the ones you think your relatives and friends will like. The keyword here is focus! Very often, during sales we get swept up with so many emotions that we often end up buying anything and everything.
Remember, to succeed you have to focus.
02. Make Friends
Now that you have approximately 30 bags on your list (10 brands x 3 bags each), start observing the shop assistants (SAs) in each boutique. Which ones are friendly? Which ones will even talk to you? Here’s a quick tip: male SAs tend to respond to women better (but if you are a guy, that’s okay too, because male SAs also tend to respond to men as well, if you get my drift). Once you single out your favourite SA, approach with caution and watch his or her response. If targeted SA smiles and starts walking towards you, stay put.
Next, say things like ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi’. Never begin a conversation with ‘Eh, how mud dat ah?’. It will score you instant discrimination points (don’t say I didn’t warn you). From your list, start asking intelligent questions about the make, design and so on. Remember to behave like you are actually interested in the purchase. Finally, ask about the price, then say something along the lines of ‘Oh, that’s a bit over my budget’, and then suggest that if it ever goes on sale, it would be a great buy.
03. Observe & Listen
After your grand statement about discounted prices, the SA will usually tell you right away if the price of the bag will ever go down. If not, move to the next bag on your list. Politely ask if you can leave your contact number with him and request that should it ever go on sale, to put it aside for you. Sale or not, SAs love building relationships with customers, especially the ones that they think will give them more business in the future, so play along and drop hints that you may bring your cousin’s Indonesian in-laws down for a shopping spree in the next few months.
Even if you don’t.
04. Note & Remember
If the SA has already taken your number and promised to call, do ask for his as well. Get the boutique’s business card and jot down his name, model number of the bag in question, and its price.
05. Reap The Rewards
Now if you have followed all the points listed here, just sit back and relax. As soon as anything goes on sale, you should get a call immediately to go down and pick up your envy-worthy steals. If not, tough luck my dear. There is always next year’s sale, or the unthinkable ordeal of joining the rest of Singapore in long maddening queues and rummaging through the bargain bins.
Most importantly, do remember that all SAs are also humans, trying to make a living. Always treat them with utmost respect and never forget your manners. Nothing irks me more than a Singaporean customer thinking he or she is above everyone else just because her card is the platinum kind.
And if you’re thinking this tongue-in-cheek piece looks familiar, you’re right. It’s a revised version of a piece I did for CATALOG last May. Good luck!
Image: Great Singapore Sale
Haha!!! This sure helps alot. Now I know the tricks, I can start using it. Thanks BB!
Wonderful reminder to all of us. Thanks!
A method to the madness!
thanks for the tips BB! me & my friends will definitely check out GSS again this year! probably early June! Hope everything is still available for us to grab!
Singapore’s Platinum card is ‘rubbish’… everyone owns a platinum card. Even POSB’s everyday card for grocery marketing etc is platinum status. hahaha.
That is so true!
That is a cool list!!
I am always doing exactly the same as what u have mentioned in point 2.
So BB, do you follow this list closely everytime as well?
Of course! Must practice what you preach right?
Hey BB, I love your 2nd last paragraph. I’m working as a Sales Associate myself in Burberry and we do have customers who think they are above everything, the so-called “high class people”, so arrogant and juz becos they have a platinum card; I totally agree with you…
Platinum card customers might be stupid and annoying, but so are SAs who think they are above everyone else. Hence I have to mention that I have gotten excellent service always at Burberry stores in Singapore, wink wink – any personal discounts for me?
Additionally, one difference I have noticed between Singapore’s and Finland’s (where I am from) is that it is difficult to get any discount from stores here even if you are a regular customer. Many shops seem to have some limit you have to spend before to get any discount and those limits are often ridiculously high, for example at DSquared2 shop one has to spend SGD5000 before getting a 10% discount. In Helsinki I always get at least 10% discount from smaller fashion stores without even asking and spending myself sick. It is a small gesture, but makes me feel a bit more special as a customer. Is the strict discount because of the strong chains that operate most of the fashion shops here?
Great comment Teemu! From time to time there are discounts at certain brands, which could be due to credit card or mall related promotions. Other than that, discounts are only to be had when sale season starts in Singapore.
Teemu, you have hit the jackpot with the comment on ‘SAs who think they are above everyone else’…so true for the SAs in the local Hermes stores. Snobbish and discriminating. They forget they just work there!
One more thing, it is interesting to see sometimes the attitudes in shops how they are serving us Ang Mos. Sometimes it is good to be white and western, sometimes not. I have noticed a change in service at certain shops once the SAs have noticed that I am not just a one time tourist and I keep coming back.
Off topic, in addition to SAs, flight attendands are another species that sometimes may have a bit high thinking of themselves. Happens with SQ too…
Hahaha.. at least i’m not that snobbish type cos this is my job and i have to deliver good service to people… not becos i work in a luxury brand, so that i have to be so arrogant like that… I do agree in Hermes there’s are some SA who are really very arrogant type juz becos they work in Hermes, cannot stand them…
BB, now that there’s SAs reading this space too, will your tips work? Haha.
Do tweet if you know of sales coming… I am waiting for Ferragamo sale!!!
Oops!
Haha.. at least it do work for me …
lol… that’s soooo chinese!
BB, great tips! Hee let’s ride on the GSS wave!
This is awesome! I’m off to Singapore this Saturday and are checking our tips on the internet how to go about my shopping.
Hopefully, there will be a sale in the Longchamp stores!
shopping doesn’t need any plan, tips or strategy, save ur time and energy for something much meaningful, my advise is just follow your heart will do!!!