Shop Talk
It has been a very busy few weeks at work thanks to a mega sporting event in London that concluded on Sunday (in the wee hours of Monday for us actually!). And I was feeling awful about missing all the monsoon sales that so many retail stores were offering. So, I took an off on the first occasion that I could and spent a good six (!) hours at the spanking new Phoenix Market City in Kurla. Yes, Kurla - that drab and totally unsexy suburb in central Mumbai. More about that later.
I wanted to pick a few things for myself and also make the most of the discounts by picking up future gifts at a steal*. And after those six hours, I returned home happy and sad. Happy because I found some great bargains and sad because the wallet was considerably lighter. Le sigh.
My tweet captures it all:
Charles & Keith, Body Shop, Accessorize, AND, Pantaloons and Debenhams are all a little richer today because of me.
— vodkaholic (@vodkaholic) August 13, 2012#RetailTherapy
Ok, now for the fun part. Let's list out what all I picked up. Better still, here's a snapshot of practically everything:
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| Click the photo to see a larger version. |
1. Khaki cargo pants which can be rolled up to the calves and buttoned up. Ideal for camping and that upcoming rafting trip. From Pantaloons, flat 50% off.
2. Dark pink poplin cropped pants. Debenhams, flat 50% off.
3. A - Black and white kurta, very comfy and interestingly is short in the front and longer from behind. From AND, not on sale. :(
3. B - Sunny yellow top with a collar of sorts and a little embroidery around the neck. AND, flat 60% off. Both AND tops were picked from the Pantaloons store.
4. Gift packs from The Body Shop. Only the Tea Tree stuff (green pouch) had a discount of 25%. The other three packs were at 50% off.
5. Butterfly stamp set in a wooden box. To decorate my cards, bookmarks and postcards. From Accessorize, flat 70% off. Woohoo!
6. Gold (not real, duh!) disc necklace and earrings, Accessorize, flat 70% off again. My favourite purchase.
7. Vintage bird design dual mirror, Accessorize, flat 70% off.
8. Socks! Set of five ankle length ones from Debenhams, flat 50% off.
9. Brown and white flat sandals. Charles & Keith, flat 30% off. Could've got them for half-price when the store had that offer on one of the days last week.
10. A - Navy rose canvas tote. Debenhams, flat 50% off. Simple but lovely. Told my mum she could use it. First, she grumbled that I spent way too much and then of course said she doesn't mind using the bag. Mothers, I tell you!
10. B - Purple (yes, I'm still obsessed with that colour) quilted satchel-y bag. Also, Debenhams and at 50% off. In fact, both bags together cost me just under Rs. 3000. Good, no?
Oh, and I also visited Di Bella - a cafe that claims to be "Australia's Ultimate Coffee Experience". The cappuccino was really nice with a touch of chocolate at the rim of the odd-shaped cup. I didn't add any sugar, which means it's #win in my books.
So, what did you think of my splurge? Did I go overboard or was it a worthwhile shopping trip? Let me know in the comments. And also, if you have suggestions, ideas and tips like the one below, leave a note.
Cheers,
~j~
*My Top Tip: Buy interesting and non-perishable gifts during the sales that make great gifts through the year. For example: books, stationery, jewellery (not gold/diamond, but sterling silver is a good bet), girly accessories (clips, hairbands, scarves), bags, travel stuff (like those nice passport holders at Accessorize and Debenhams), or even crockery (if you have the storage and patience). Food and personal care products if an occasion is close enough to the date of purchase should also do.
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