When it comes to Christmas shopping, there’s probably no better time to get your hands on some good deals and bargains than in the Boxing Day and post-Christmas sales.
For many people still getting over the chaos of this Christmas, that might seem a bit ridiculous and perhaps even a little too organised – but for others, it’s a no-brainer and a savvy way to save money and get ahead for when next Christmas comes around.
For the last couple of years, I’ve managed to land some really good bargains in the sales between Christmas and New Year. Last year, I bought gift tags and gift bows at discount prices, and the year before I found a huge pack of good quality, modern baubles for a ridiculously cheap price.
I headed out to some shops in Grimsby to see if the post-Christmas sales were any good this year and whether or not I could actually get some bang for my buck.
Asda
Asda on Holles Street was my first port of call. The sales were pretty decent – with packs of four gift tags on offer for just 13p – and much of the sparkly, festive clothing having been heavily discounted. There was still a wide range of baubles, decorations, napkins, tablecloths and paper plates left, and smaller Christmas trees were on sale for just £10.
Gift tags were just 13p
(Image: Grimsby Live)
There were multiple boxes of Christmas wrapping paper left (albeit only one theme) for just 25p a roll, and packs of 12 Christmas crackers were on sale for under a pound. Lights, boxes, ribbons and twine had also been significantly reduced, along with fleece bedding, cushions and electrical items (although these seem to have been on sale in Asda for quite a while).
An entire aisle of chocolates and sweet treats also has ‘sale’ signs plastered all over, although most of these are Christmas-themed – and I imagine the best-before dates mean these probably can’t be stashed away until next Christmas.
Browsing through the clothing section, I found a lovely black festive jumper with a pink sequinned bow embellished on it that had been reduced by 50 percent from £12 to £6, so I bought that to wear for next year. I also bought three packs of gift tags, costing just 39p.
I bought a lovely Christmas jumper to wear next year
(Image: Grimsby Live)
Tesco
Making the short trip over from Asda to Tesco Extra on Market Street, I was keen to see what the post-Christmas sales were like there. Personally, I thought Asda had a lot more choice – but there were still many packs of discounted Christmas crackers left in Tesco, as well as food items like mince pies, cakes and boxes of chocolate.
There were adorable Christmas plushies on sale, too – one was a polar bear dressed up as a Christmas pudding for just £3.50, which I actually now regret not buying. Sets of Christmas tree fleece double bedding had been reduced to £9, and a unique Yankee candle I’ve never seen before with the scent of ‘Wrapping Paper Pine’ had been slashed to half price. Another thing I regret not buying, because it smelt amazing.
A stand of Christmas-themed jewellery had also been reduced to half price, and there were still quite a few baubles and Christmas tree decorations left. Kids’ Christmas clothing – such as onesies, dresses and Christmas jumpers – were on offer, as was the sparkly women’s clothing, although there wasn’t as much choice as in Asda.
In the end, I decided to buy my daughter a lovely red Christmas jumper with a sequinned bow embellished on, similar to the one I bought for myself. This had been reduced by half from £14 to £7. I also bought her some sparkly red and navy blue tights for just £3.
I bought a Christmas jumper for my daughter that had been reduced to half price
(Image: Grimsby Live)
Sainsbury’s
If you’re looking for some discounted festive clothing for next Christmas, Sainsbury’s is probably your best bet. There were rails and rails of sparkly and sequinned skirts, trousers, tops and blazers – the perfect attire for Christmas parties and Christmas Day.
In terms of other bits and bobs, there really wasn’t much to choose from, aside from a few boxes of crackers, napkins and gift tags. There were quite a few gift sets available, so Sainsbury’s is probably a good shout if you, like quite a lot of people, buy your presents for next year in the sales.
Nevertheless, I left empty-handed.
There was plenty of choice in Sainsbury’s where clothing was concerned
(Image: Grimsby Live)
The Range
The Range had the most choice, by far, which didn’t surprise me. There was everything Christmas-themed you could possibly think of – indoor and outdoor decorations, baubles, present sacks, festive arts and crafts, cushions, bedding – and even Christmas toilet brushes, which even I think is a step too far.
The majority of items were reduced by either 35 percent or 50 percent, and the sale lasts until the end of January.
I came across an absolutely gorgeous reversible festive bedding set for my little girl, which had been reduced from £9.99 to £6.49. A matching fitted sheet was reduced from £4.99 to £3.24, which I thought was a really good deal.
There was so much choice in the range – I bought this festive bedding set for my daughter
(Image: Grimsby Live)
I did buy some outdoor fairy lights to hang up on my porch next year, costing £4.99 per box, but these hadn’t been reduced.
Near the tills, there were loads of gift bags, tags, bows and ribbons – I went for a set of four money wallets, reduced by half to 50p, and some special gift tags for my little girl’s presents, for just 34p.
B&M
The Christmas sales in B&M were pretty decent, too. There was lots available, albeit there wasn’t as much choice as in The Range. Christmas cards had been reduced by half, so I picked up a couple at 29p each. It was the first shop I’d been where I actually liked the wrapping paper, and each roll was discounted from £1.50 to 75p. I bought two.
Like every other shop, there was plenty of choice where Christmas crackers were concerned. I picked up a lovely set of 12 mini Christmas crackers for just £1.50, reduced to half price.
These Christmas crackers were reduced to half price
(Image: Grimsby Live)
What I bought in the sales
- Christmas jumper – £6
- Girls’ Christmas jumper – £7
- Girls’ Christmas tights – £3
- Outdoor lights x2 – £9.98
- Festive bedding – £9.73
- 20 gift tags – 73p
- Christmas cards x2 – 58p
- Wrapping paper x2 – £1.50
- Set of Christmas crackers – £1.50
- Total = £40.02
For 40 quid, I don’t think I did badly at all. If I waited until next Christmas to buy the above items, I reckon I probably would’ve spent double – so getting ahead and securing at least a few bits and bobs for next year in this year’s sales is a no-brainer. I’m also planning on buying a pre-lit Christmas tree, a dress, all my cards – and maybe even a few presents.