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January 10, 2020

Winter Shopping Opportunities In The New Year

In the run-up to Christmas, pretty much every business is looking to slowly hike up prices and stock more inventory. When Christmas has passed, the items that haven’t sold will be the first to get put on sale. Thus with the New Year comes the second round of good cheer, as there are plenty of to-die-for sales on right now. Off-peak winter shopping is by far the most unsung of all shopping periods. So many people don’t realize that businesses want to move their unsold stock as soon as possible in time for the second wave of winter items. They’re also trying to plan for the spring and then summer, so you have a lot of sales and opportunities to get what you want for when winter returns. But you can't ‘buy all the things’, you have to be tactile and really know what you’re looking for. Don’t purchase items just because they’re on sale, look for quality which will serve you well long into the future.

The best winter item

Of all the items you could buy during winter, the best off-peak opportunity is a coat or jacket. This is a large garment so it's inherently expensive. In the run-up to Christmas, coats and jackets are a hot commodity. Everyone wants to update their wardrobe with a warm, robust and stylish winter coat. Even though winter only truly begins in January, the Christmas coat rush takes hold over much of the consumer population. When New Year’s arrives, you have a plethora of sales right at your fingertips. 

The overcoat is the most desirable coat style but unfortunately, it's also the most expensive. Thus, you often get a large number of traditional overcoats that have yet to be sold in the first few weeks of January. Look on the House of Fraser website for a classic overcoat. The company is currently having a 50% sale for both men and women. If you would rather not have a large overcoat, you can go for a parka jacket. Perhaps a peacoat is more your style. All 100% wool coats are going to be expensive because they offer the highest quality possible. However, even these luxury items are put on sale specifically during the New Year. The reason for this is, many brands will be releasing their newest products and they wish to sell all their older inventory first. 

Personalizing your gifts

Perhaps this month you have a party to go to. It could be a birthday party or a work party to celebrate a job well done. Winter gifts are ripe for personalization as they are usually made to be more robust. Case in point, woolly gloves. Embroidering woollen gloves is a common practice in winter. They make for excellent gifts because they’re practical, and will last for a long time. Stitching the name of the person who you’re giving them to, into the weave is a simple yet heart-warming gift idea. It immediately makes the gift one of a kind and thus, has intrinsic value. 

Personalizing wintery gifts has always been the fun of buying items for this time of year. One such example is the Christmas cards industry. Here you can have a family picture printed onto the card, making for a more personal greeting to those who you’re sending cards to. The collage design is quite popular too because you can lay out your whole year for others to see in pictures. Everything from the color scheme, material, style and design can be chosen. Specialist personalized gift makers are always receiving high traffic at this time of year.

A personal coffee cup sleeve is also something to consider. This is something simple yet quite a large canvas to express your personality. You can have pretty much any design you wish for on such sleeves because you can have them made out of wool. Not only do they protect your hands from holding a blistering hot cup of Joe, but you can have a character, name or slogan woven into the design.

Trekking in the snow

Don’t be one of those people that sit at home and only admires the snowy landscape from afar. You should take the opportunity to go out hiking into the local countryside and parks. But before you do, take full advantage of another sale opportunity in the form of hiking boots. Just like many other industries, January is a great time for businesses to unveil their newest products. They might be a bit better than the last iteration, but they’re a whole lot more expensive. So, buying some hiking boots that are very much in style and technologically up-to-date is the perfect opportunity.

However, winter hiking boots are not the same as normal hiking boots. Winter hiking boots will have small metal studs to help your feet grip the icy surfaces and wade through tough thick and hardened snow. Look for boots that have been designed for Nepalese mountains as many companies make the best boots for this kind of hiking. 

Sportsuit is having a 75% sale off right now, for their long lines of hiking boots. Winter boots especially are a popular buy from this website. Thick soles and deep grooves are just what you need in a winter hiking boot, so Columbia Canuk boots in all black. If you want more support for your ankles, get the Trespass Kareem Snow boots which are taller, riding up to the shins.

Hot drinks for longer

In winter, we buy lots of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Hot drinks on a cold day make life easier and more enjoyable. It's just a shame then that the average mug in a household is made out of poor quality clay. They don’t trap the heat in for long and within 10 minutes or so the drink will begin to cool down. This isn’t good if you’re trying to work at the same time as this amount of time will fly by. So instead, get yourself a heated mug. Ember makes a mug which heats itself. It's a ‘smart mug’ one might say because you can connect it to your iOS or Android device. Using Bluetooth connection, you can set the temperature you want. The range you can choose from is 120°F – 145°F (50°C – 62.5 °C). It has a smart LED to tell you when it's working and a 1.5-hour battery life with the battery itself built-in. The coaster you get with it is actually the charger. Altogether a neat system which is a great buying opportunity this winter.

Sweet tooth lovers

Of all the things you love to eat when it's cold, chocolate is perhaps the first choice. It's incredibly filling and fattening. It's little wonder then that many arctic explorers take 70-100% dark chocolate bars with them on their adventures. It's the number one food for winter because it's high in calories and hey, it just takes awesome. But if you’re looking for great chocolate, designed around winter, where should you go? Hotel Chocolat has winter-inspired chocolates that no one else in the world sells. They have spiced raspberry chocolate, rum and vanilla, cappuccino and white chocolate and a whole raft of other blends. One of their all-time best products is the chocolate slab. You can have nuts in your slab, along with all three chocolate kinds; milk, white and dark. 

For your decor

Last but certainly not least, buying winter items for your decor is going to serve you and your home well. Consider Egyptian cotton throws. They allow your skin to breathe yet they wrap you with warmth in a matter of minutes. Area rugs are extremely popular at this time of year more than most. Go for a rug made from Merino wool if you can. It's rather pricey but it's by far the highest quality wool for rugs in the world right now. It's soft, flexible and tough, all the while trapping heat out of the air. It's common for a room with an area rug to be a few degrees warmer than one with a bare floor. 

Knitwear cushion covers are never seen at any other time of the year except winter. Therefore you’re kind of shopping against the clock. Knitwear covers are very adaptable to any style of sofa. They’re made out of wool, so they keep your back warm if you’re using them for support. It's highly recommended to get yourself a couple of knitwear cushions if you have a leather corner sofa. 

Winter candles made from cinnamon-infused wax would be great additions to your home’s style. Not every opportunity has to be totally practical you know. Candles just look great in any home and the scent of cinnamon wafting through your home will complete your winter decor. 

Now is the time to shop and take full advantage of the New Year sales. Coats and jackets may not be this cheap again until next year, so now’s your chance to buy a 100% wool coat. You should also look for woollen area rugs as they are the quintessential living room item during the winter months. 

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