January Sales: How to get the best of the new year deals
Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve — the festive period is an onslaught of fun, parties and indulgence for most. It is also a time of giving and receiving gifts, shopping, and getting stuck into the sales! The January sales in the UK can be seen as an extension of the Boxing Day sales, with added items and sometimes bigger discounts on electronics, home appliances and fashion.
January sales
Since Boxing Day was only the previous week, a lot of stores will still be trying to remove stock from local branches to make way for new products, which means some decent savings to be had by you.
This means the Boxing Day sales ostensibly continue into January and you’ll often find that you can get an even better discount as the prices drop further. Thankfully, the frenzied rush found in stores on Boxing Day has subsided to a still-hurried-but-less-concentrated-effort to find some bargains.
Big-name stores like Argos, Dunelm, Next, Office Shoes, M&S, Selfridges, and House Of Fraser will all have a big sale in January.
Start of sales
Not sure I’ll be out and about very early on January the 1st, but braving the frosty morning to search for that ultimate deal is part of the fun. Wrap up warm, and have an idea of what you want, otherwise you’ll end up carrying too much and overspending!
The best deals in the January Sales will be on electronics, clothing and sportswear, furniture, and even food — get to M&S Foodhall for some discounted Christmassy treats — if you can eat any more.
The January sales are also a good time to get laptops as stores are clearing inventory, students go back to school, often 10% less than they were in December — mere weeks earlier.
Top tips for the January sales
- Set a budget
Always set a budget, as you could easily get carried away and spend too much. We’ve all done it when we see a bargain. It's a good idea to know what you are willing to spend and have an inkling of what you are looking for, or you’ll go wildly over budget.
- Recommended Retail Price (RRP)
It is worthwhile knowing the RRP or previous prices of products as then you can see if you are getting a real deal or if the seller has simply upped prices in the run up to the sale. This unfortunately happens quite a lot.
You can find previous prices online on websites like hotukdeals, Pricespy, Idealo, and Seeka. Amazon has a dedicated one called CamelCamelCamel, which is very handy to find out historic prices.
If you are actually at the shop, heaven forbid, then either look at the tag or ask the staff.
- Discount Codes
Discount codes are always a sure-fire way to make some serious savings, with some online stores offering up to 30-40% off during the January sales. Have a look on hotukdeals vouchers page to find the best codes to grab yourself a great deal.
Some codes give a percentage discount off the total basket price, some only work on selected items, and some give a certain amount of money off.
- Sign up to newsletters
You can get some nice discounts by signing up to stores’ newsletters, normally around 10-15%. Obviously, they’ll need some personal details and the codes can only be redeemed for one order, but privacy is a myth anyway!
Also, you’ll get information on exclusive offers too, days before the rest of us.
- Social media
Similarly, if you follow all the brands and stores you like on social media — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, even TikTok — you’ll find out about offers and discounts before everyone else.
Downloading retailers’ apps, like Currys, Amazon, adidas, ASOS, etc. could also help letting you know about updates, offers and exclusives.
- Shop around
If you are looking for a real bargain, then you’ll need to shop around to get the best January sales deals. Because lots of shops and retailers stock the same products, with only nominal differences in price, you should check various places before actually taking the plunge.
Use Google’s handy shopping tab or price comparison sites like PriceRunner or PriceSpy to find the best price online. Google’s shopping search doesn’t include Amazon, which is a bit annoying, but understandable.
- What is their refund policy?
As with any purchase, you could be disappointed or regret buying it when you get home from the store. It is always good to know the store refund policy, as they will all have slightly varying rules.
You also need to know what sort of condition it needs to be in to send it back, as sometimes it needs to be unboxed, or pristine. No point sending something back only to find out it can’t be refunded.
If you are disappointed with your purchase, then it is good to know how long you have to send it back. Also good to know if it needs to be pristine and its box. You don’t want to buy something in the rush on Boxing Day only to find out you can’t send it back.
Many retailers have different return policies so it is important to check each company’s guidelines before you buy.
What is actually on sale during the January sales?
Here are some of the top categories of products on sale during January:
- Electronics- You’ll find big discounts on TVs, headphones, Amazon TV Firesticks, Smartphones and so on.
- Gaming - Games Consoles and games for Xbox Series X, PS5 and Nintendo Switch should be dropping in price.
- Home - Think Vacuum cleaners including Dyson and Shark, Furniture, Lighting and more.
- Fashion - Expect big discounts on brands like adidas, Nike, Zara, Converse, Vans, Superdry, etc.
- Garden & DIY- Expect savings on storage like sheds, Power Tools, Paint, Flooring and more.
- Services & Contracts- Discounts on Broadband, Phone Contracts, VPN’s and more
- Health & Beauty- Discounts on Perfume, Aftershave, Makeup and more beauty products.
- Culture & Leisure- Discounts on Blu-rays, Cinema tickets, Experience Days, Restaurants, and so on.
- Travel- Expect some strong offers on Hotels, Flights, and Holidays.
January sale FAQs
When do January sales start?
Technically, they start on January 1st, but in reality they are simply an extension of the Boxing Day sales. But you will often find extended discounts as stores try to get rid of older stock.