Credit cards at the ready

INDEPENDENCE DAY SALES

4th of July may not be that significant to most Australians, but to those of us who are avid online shoppers it means major shopping spree for the USA Independence Day sales.



Deals to check out include:

• American Eagle Outfitters: Sale of up to 50% off items plus an extra 15% off and free shipping with code “87279041”
• Children's Place: Up to 75% off sale items and use code “N6G45QDP42” through 7/9 for an extra 20% off
• Coldwater Creek: Use code “AFLF624” for $30 off purchase of $150 plus free shipping on orders over $50, expires 7/4
• Kohls: Use code “SUMMER15” between July 1-12 for 15% off
• Victoria's Secret: Free shipping with code “SHIPVS12”
• Bath and Body Works: Semi-Annual Sale offers up to 75% off, “HELLOSALE20” gives you an extra 20% off
• DWS: Up to 50% off, free shipping on orders over $35 with code “SHIPR”
• Shoes.com: Use code “SHOESOFF” for $10 off a $50 purchase or $20 off a purchase of $100
• Old Navy: Save on hundreds of Summer Styles.
• Stacy Adams: Extra 10% off clearance.Use Coupon Code "CLR1012" at checkout.
• GbyGUESS.com: 50% off summer categories (Shorts, Tanks, Tees, Flip Flops).
• Auto Parts Warehouse: 10% OFF on orders $99 and up + FREE SHIPPING this Independence Day! Use Coupon Code "INDEPENDENCE"
• Gap: Red, Bright, and Blue Event - Save up to 40% off on select styles!
• Home Depot: $10 OFF orders $100 or more! Online Only. Use Coupon Code "RWBHD10" at checkout.
• Levi's: Buy More Save More - Spend $100, get 20% off + Free Shipping. Spend $150, get 30% off + Free Shipping. Use Coupon Code "SUMMER" at checkout.
• Macy's: Extra 15% Off at the 4th of July Sale 
• Nautica:Up to 40 Off Everything - Buy More, Save More 4th of July Sale. Use Coupon Code "FIREWORKS" at checkout.
• Sierra Trading Post: 25% off $125 or more Use Coupon Code "ALJUNE2" at checkout.
• Anne Klein: Save Up to 75% Off With an Additional 25% Off Sale! 
• Bare Necessities: 30% Off Swimwear 
• JC Whitney: 12% off auto parts Use Coupon Code "JCWFREE"
• GUESS: SUMMER CLEARANCE EVENT: Take an additional 40% off already-reduced prices! 
• Famous Footwear: BOGO: Buy One, Get One Half Off.

Oh and don't be fooled that the sale is for the 4th July only, with many retailers starting sales from 1st July and continuing for several days after the 4th July. Now finger on the mouse, credit card to the side and go.....

(PS) We would love to know what bargains you snap up.

Cheers

The USA Shopping Affair Team

What to buy - back to school

Since starting my global sourcing experiment I am slowly getting more organised to avoid any situations that require popping down the shops (to date my only requirement has been kids Christmas presents and last minute birthday gifts). Hence I have begun to think about back to school and all the things we will need for the new school year including uniforms, shoes, school bag, lunch tote and stationery. My research to date has found that all of the above items are better to be sourced from Australia as shipping adds too much to the purchase price. The exception however are school shoes - yep once again the US provides a great range of footwear for school at much cheaper prices even after shipping to Oz has been included! These are the shoes that I bought for my son,

Leather Hush Puppies$40.00 USD, similar shoe retails in Australia for $89.95

New Balance runners $32.95 USD, retail in Australia for $60.00

Which month for which product?

Bargain Buys

Courtesy of dealnews.com the following outlines what months you can get the best deal for certain products.

January: Winter clothing

Late January/February: Older electronics (once new items are introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show, stores put old stock on clearance), current-year calendars, top-brand HDTVs.

June: Bedding and linens (deals are even better than for January white sales).

September-October: Jeans.

November: Lower-end laptops, clothing on Black Friday, cookware (continues into December).

December: Laptops, especially higher-end systems; bicycles.

Mid- to late-December: Toys, video games.

The Perfect Shopping Trip

Just as a reminder of why we love online shopping so much, this is the location my family and I were camping at when I bought my latest US haul from Zappos & Zara (who by the way accept payment via paypal!). No after Christmas hassles just a lap top , glass of wine and beautiful view in the middle of nowhere - the perfect shopping trip

Eyre Peninsula (SA)

What to buy - shoes, glorious shoes

No brainer really, shoes are definitely worth buying from the US for the bargains, for the fashion and for the uniqueness. Pumps, sandals, flats, boots, athletic shoes......you name it they are worth buying off shore. Estimate approximately $30.00 AUD to ship a pair of average shoes to Australia, allowing for slightly more if buying boots.

Nine West Briella T-Strap Sandal

Compare these Nine West Briella T-Strap Sandal, cost on Amazon was $51.00 on sale, full price was $79.00 compared to the price in the Nine West retail shops here at $159.00.

Even allowing the $30.00 shipping you still save $78.00!!! What we don't understand is why the price discrepancy between Australia and the USA as the shoe is undoubtedly made in Asia or China, therefore stock would have to be shipped to the US or Australia regardless.

Where to buy?

Below is a few of our favourites but feel free to let us know if we have left any essential ones out:

• http://www.amazon.com
• http://www.zappos.com
• http://www.endless.com
• http://www.viaspiga.com
• www.nordstrom.com

Happy Shopping!

What to buy - summer gear



Roxy



Billabong





With summer upon us we thought it would be timely to compare prices for the purchase of swim wear, sunglasses, thongs and other summer essentials. The result is that these items are worth purchasing from the US and shipping back to Australia. Other than the brand name sites themselves our favourite website to get all your summer necessities is http://www.swimoutlet.com/ which stocks a huge range of brands including Roxy, Seafolly, Billabong, Speedo, Havaiana's etc. Whether you are looking for athletic swim gear or just to relax at the beach this site seemed to have everything and at great prices. Don't forget to change your location to the USA though when first logging on to the site. The question is can we cope without the traumatic experience of bather shopping in front of those horrid change room mirrors???

What to buy - underwear & pj's

For those of you that are considering buying underwear from the USA, our thoughts are don't bother unless you want something unique from the likes of Victoria's Secret. Prices are comparable to Australia, as is quality.

Pyjamas on the other hand are another matter, whether you going for luxury or the good old dependable flannels, you can get a wide range of pyjamas from the US at great prices.

Tommy Hilfiger USD $50.00

When you want to splash out we recommend checking out:

• Victoria's Secret www.victoriassecret.com
• Bare Necessities www.barenecessities.com

Target USD $24.99

But on those days when its just you, a DVD and a block of chocolate then you can go past the bargains at:

• Kmart www.kmart.com
• Target www.target.com

Sweet dreams!          The USA Shopping Affair Team

What to buy - toiletries & cosmetics...

In committing my family to our 'Global Sourcing" experiment, one of my aims was to determine whether there really was as much threat to all Australian retailers as the media hype made it appear or was the competitive threat particular to specific products and therefore specific retailers. For that reason I was particularly interested in the price comparison of everyday toiletries and whether it would save us money by sourcing our everyday needs such as sunscreen, deodorant, soap etc. It may seem obvious that the answer would be no, but I wanted to ensure that I had fully researched the prospect before coming to that conclusion. My research has however concluded a positive no, it's not worth buying your everyday toiletries including the cheaper skincare product ranges such as Olay etc from overseas as the shipping makes it cost prohibitive. In light of this, I have added an additional rule to my previous experiment parameters.

Rule 4: Where an item can be purchased from Australia for less than $15.00 then the item should be sourced from here. 

Urban Decay

The more expensive skincare ranges are another matter and are unequivocally worth buying from overseas, and I am fairly certain that most people know that cosmetics are definitely cheaper to source from overseas. The following cosmetic and skincare list has been compiled based on the most popular products purchased by our customers over the last 6 months:

• MAC
• Bobbi Brown
• Too Faced
• NARS
• Maybelline
• Ole Hendrikson
• Makeup Forever
• Clinique
• Benefit
• Dior
• Aveda
• Urban Decay