Manila's Mid-Year Sale: BPS's Take-Away

It's true we have a mid-year sale here in Manila! It's not the same scale as the summer/winter sale in HK, but the state of end-of-season sales here has been improving. More stores are participating now, discounts go as high up as 50% off, and more importantly, the stuff on sale are not all that crappy anymore. I don't have photos of what are up for grabs since most stores are strict about taking pictures of items for sale. Best to just pick a mall and check out the mid-year sale for yourself.

My pick: Makati. I started at F21 in SM Makati, crossed the street to check out Zara, 9 West, Mango, Gap and Rustan's in Glorietta, skipped Landmark and headed straight to Topshop (and Zara and Mango again) in Greenbelt.

Here are what I got away with: loose tee for half off, basic tank tops, heels and skincare items at around 20-25% off. 

During sale season, my shopping strategy is to stick with the basics. Over the years, I learned that impulse buys could be a burden when the highs of discount shopping began to wane and the realization that I didn't really need/like what I got finally kicked in. But it's almost impossible to go wrong with basics, and getting them on sale is a plus. Above, Zara tank tops at around 20% off and an impulse buy loose Mosaic top at half off for lazy days.

Below, a pair of Zara TRF navy blue heels I spotted last week but had to leave behind because of a crooked left heel. They're the main reason I was out and about this weekend since I normally don't go to malls when there's a sale going on to avoid the huge crowds. Fortunately, there was one pair in my size in GB5 without any damages. I stopped getting my shoe fix from Zara after a few disappointing pairs, but these are surprisingly comfortable especially for 4-inch heels, at least for the 5 minutes I was in them in the store.

Another impulse buy, a new discovery in SM Makati, O.N.E. Naturales all natural products. I got a massage bar and a tube of hand and body lotion and got 2 mini sacks of samples. More on this to follow.

Snacking is a must to keep energy levels high. 

Cheap thrill: Tokyo Tokyo's tempura style onion rings for only Php 55

And fuel for an afternoon of shopping: sugar-filled coffee slush

P.S. All the items in Mango are on sale as is its usual practice. In Topshop and Zara, more than half the store are sale items. Check out your Zara picks online to find out if they're on sale, original and discounted prices are listed.