Marketing professional provides tips to shoppers for Vat-free Day

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By Candice Sealey.

Hear me out: After my last post, a few people reached out and I also saw persons asking about what advice I have for shoppers on VAT FREE day. So here we go: Smart Shopping on VAT FREE Day.

VAT-FREE Shopping is psychology. You walk into the store as a responsible adult but you walk out with three decorative pillows, the beautiful Christmas decorations that dazzled your eyes but forget the iron you needed! A VAT Free Day plays with the brain more than you realize. It feels like everything is a deal, everything is urgent and everything will vanish if you do not grab it then and there.

Since the official list of VAT free items has been released, let’s talk strategy – your smart shopping strategy. Here is how you can up your shopping game on the VAT-FREE shopping day.

1. Start with your real priorities: Our brains are wired for shortcuts when under pressure. On a VAT Free Day, stores will be crowded, decisions are fast and your mind will push you to choose what is right in front of you. Write down your top three must-haves in order of importance first (keep it in your hand). If you only get those, you’re good. Watch the impulse zones, yes those displays at the front of the store and by the cashier exist for one purpose: to make you pick up things you did not plan to buy. Walk with a little discipline there and your bank account will thank you.
2. Have a spending limit before you enter. Your brain will convince you that it’s just a ‘small extra thing’ because VAT FREE feels like a discount. Set a number. If you are guessing your budget while shopping, you already lost. Before you go to the cashier, pause and ask yourself one question: would you still be interested in that item next week? If the answer is no, put it back.
3. Do not shop tired or hungry. Decision fatigue is real. The more choices you face, the worse your judgment gets. Eat first and hydrate. I know it may sound simple but when we’re tired and hungry, we spend more and we may make poor decisions. Our brain needs energy to think clearly, especially when the environment is loud and busy.
4. Double check prices. Always confirm the actual final price so your bill does not jump when you arrive at the cashier. Know the regular price before you go so you are not tricked into thinking you caught a bargain.
5. There is life after the VAT-FREE shopping day: Stick to what you can manage. VAT FREE does not cancel January bills. Make your money stretch.
6. Plan your route. If your must-have items are in store number two or three, you are gambling with luck on such a busy day. Map your shopping stops like you are on a mission. Popular items run out fast. Visit the stores with your must-have items first.

Happy shopping

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