January sales jaunts

British shops set the bar high (or rather, cut-price low) when it comes to post-Christmas sales. But this tradition is not confined to the UK.

USA

January is one of the key sales seasons in the USA, with Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and New York all great places to find prices slashed by up to 70%. That equals big savings when you consider standard prices on local labels such as Levis, Converse, American Apparel and the like are often cheaper than back home.

Milan

After top designer discounts? Milan is the perfect place for your shopping pilgrimage. But be sure to venture beyond its famous ‘golden triangle’ to the Brera district, which also offers up smaller designer boutiques full of promise. And, if only big names will do, make a day trip to the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Serravalle via the shuttle bus service that runs daily from the city centre – if you head to the information office with your shuttle bus ticket you can pick up a fashion passport giving you an extra 10% off the outlet prices that day. While it won’t offer the elegance and charm of ambling around the historic city, it’ll doubtless be kinder to your wallet.

Paris

If you love shopping, you could take the train to France. Paris’s department stores such as Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marché start their sales in the first or second week of January. But equally good savings, and shopping with less push and shove, can be found in the indie shops of the Marais district and the designer boutiques that line ritzy Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne.

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