SUMMER sales are gradually starting in high-street stores and boutiques across the country, beginning with the Greater Madrid region on Saturday (June 21) and spreading to other regions between now and July 1.
Big names are typically the first to slash their prices – Spanish chain Mango and Swedish store H&M began in Madrid this weekend and are expected to start this week elsewhere in the country, whilst the Inditex chain – Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti, Uterqüe, Pull&Bear, Oysho and Zara Home – plus El Corte Inglés department store will begin their summer sale season this coming Saturday, June 28.
Leading national consumer organisation, the OCU, has published a raft of recommendations to ensure shoppers keep safe and are not blinded by low prices – which, from an average of 30% off at the beginning of the sales, can drop to up to 80% off by the end.
Firstly, and most obviously, is to avoid impulse buys; customers are advised to make a list before they set off of what they really need or want, set a budget and stick to it, and to take a walk and some time out before committing to a purchase, to allow them to think about it in full.
Secondly, retailers are obliged to comply with a series of legal requirements, and consumers should make sure they do so.
All goods in the sales must have their original price tag displayed on them, so shoppers know how much they are saving.
Nothing should change about the goods or the offers, except the price – the same guarantees apply, which is a minimum of two years for electrical items, and the quality must not be in any way diminished.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com