Boots 70% off sale

malebolge

nibs wrote: »

Thats me lol. Every year I get sale stuff for my birthday which is in January. Hate the toiletry sets personally

I've two friends in the same position; I think that's partly why I wrote what I did, because I know that both of them get fed up of being given sale stuff. It's not that it's in the sale per se - it's cause they get stuff, like the toiletry sets you mention, that have been bought purely because they're cheap.
I do buy birthday presents that are in sales - but only if it's stuff I know my mates like. For one, I got a lovely molton brown set - only 20% off but way more appreciated. The other loves Jo Malone, so I've got some of that, even though it's not on sale. I know she'll like that way more than some heavily reduced celebrity perfume that probably won't be worn.

annabelinda12

I have a couple of teacher friends and they both seem to get lots of Baylis and Harding sets as gifts and both say they hate them and 'donate' them to charity things, so if you enter a raffle in the Manchester area, you may win one! Personally, I think that toiletries are a risky thing to buy as a gift unless you know that the recipient either already uses them or covets them (Molton Brown, Jo Malone , Diptyque etc)

balletshoes

malebolge wrote: »

I've two friends in the same position; I think that's partly why I wrote what I did, because I know that both of them get fed up of being given sale stuff. It's not that it's in the sale per se - it's cause they get stuff, like the toiletry sets you mention, that have been bought purely because they're cheap.
I do buy birthday presents that are in sales - but only if it's stuff I know my mates like.
For one, I got a lovely molton brown set - only 20% off but way more appreciated. The other loves Jo Malone, so I've got some of that, even though it's not on sale. I know she'll like that way more than some heavily reduced celebrity perfume that probably won't be worn.

I target my Boots 70% off purchases entirely to what those I'm buying for like (its not anyone's main present, except to me from me ).
My teenagers like Jack Wills (some of it), S&G (but I target specific sets only), one of them likes Crabtree & Evelyn, the other likes this year's Laura Ashley gift range for Boots. I also try to pick up the luxury hair range gifts as they are really good value at 70% off.

I don't buy perfume for anyone, unless I know for definite its their favourite perfume.

Desperado99

balletshoes wrote: »

I target my Boots 70% off purchases entirely to what those I'm buying for like (its not anyone's main present, except to me from me ).
My teenagers like Jack Wills (some of it), S&G (but I target specific sets only), one of them likes Crabtree & Evelyn, the other likes this year's Laura Ashley gift range for Boots. I also try to pick up the luxury hair range gifts as they are really good value at 70% off.

I don't buy perfume for anyone, unless I know for definite its their favourite perfume.

Same here, the parentals like champneys or sanctuary and any sort of home fragrance sets, the teens like make-up, nail varnish, bath stuff. It's actually my birthday in Jan and sometimes I'll treat myself (I got the big sanctuary TLC box last year). I don't do perfumes generally as I think it's a very personal thing (and I've never understood the whole celebrity fragrance thing anyway).


I'm fairly sure I won't be doing the online sale this year, I would've stayed up for the big champneys hamper to save me trying to get it in store but it's gone OOS now. So I think I'll be getting a good nights sleep and heading out bright and early for the store opening. At least I'll be rested

Storck

They were putting more stock out in my local store today.

EndlessStruggle

I have family birthdays in Jan, Mum and Brother. Brother gets obligatory aftershave set and I'd like to get mum some perfume.

I go in my lunch hour to avoid the rush, have a quick peruse and get a few bits if there's anything I like. Couldn't be going for store opening and hustling with mad shelf clearers

pippo

Katgrit wrote: »

For those of you new to this heres what happens, by law, every single year:

1. By day of sale in Jan this thread will be up to approx 157 pages.
2. Every other post is a newbie asking which Wed the sale starts on.
3. Loads of people swear blind that last year it started a week earlier than it
actually did.
4. Each Tuesday's posts on this thread contain details of someone's sister's neighbour's friend's boyfriend's Mum, who knows someone who works in a Boots store, who swears blind its DEFINITELY starting THAT Wednesday.
5. A few hardcore MSE'ers stay up til 3am on the website just incase it does start.
6. THAT Wed morning: sale doesn't start. A few individuals who didn't know are still
sitting outside their local branch refusing to believe it in the vain hope the staff are still "putting the signs up".
7. There's always ONE store who c0cks up and accidentally DOES start a week early. And the tills don't knock the discount off but the enthusiastic SA's overrides the til to give the discount, until the manager re-reads a fax from head office. So one lucky forumite always gets lucky by accident.
8. The Tuesday evening before it DOES actually start theres always at least one grumpy git store manager who swears blind they "won't be having a 70% sale at all as they haven't sold enough at 50%". And he's been told this on a fax from head office, so he knows for definite. Honest guv.
9. Someone's dog's sister's collegue's friend's Mum overhears 2 SA's chatting
about the need to put the signs up that evening after the store is closed. She asks SA1 who gives her an icy stare and denies all knowledge. SA2 later sidles up to her in the shampoo isle and gives her a knowing wink and a whisper of "Are you a friend of Martin? Don't let on I told you but it IS tomorrow".
10. Boots stores are full of MSE'ers casing the joint, sizing up whats left and
deciding on their route round the isles/plan of attack for the morning.
11. The lovely MSE'er sale_me_up whos flat overlooks a Boots store does a reccy in her pyjamas around midnight to double check the signs are up.
12. Half of us stay up to buy online. About 2am Boots put up "the holding screen"
which is a picture of Skeletor with a bad fake tan, and giant white teeth, in a ski
hat. Everyone gets excited. Website crashes completely.
13. 4am Site back online, complete with Mr FakeTanTeeth. Those who are able (and still awake) fill their baskets ready for when 70% discounts kick in. Website crashes, holding screen back up.
14. 6am. Website back, discount applied, sales goes live but all baskets back to
being empty. People start frantically refilling baskets.
15. 6.01am. Website crashes.
16. 7am Queues start forming outside Boots stores. Always a fat chav in leggings accompanied by 2 shopping trollies who is first in the queue. She wants everything "for the kiddies charity party next year, you cant say no at such a good price". Translate this as "it'll be going on ebay or at the boot sale".
17. 8/9am stores open. As doors unlock staff look a bit disgusted that people have been desperate enough to queue. Stampede into store. Everyone gets seriously pee'd off with the ignoramous with the trolley who is sweeping entire shelves of goodies off in one fell swoop, having blocked off the isle at both ends.
8.Think all female rubgy scrum.
19. Bemused husbands/dads stood at ends of isles to recieve full baskets/trollies/bags and act as guardian while wife goes back for more.
20. Small child crushed under weight of FCUK sets placed ontop of pram while
Mother scrabbles under shelving for dropped advantage card.
21. Innocent passing elderly couple who just called in for some fibogel get caught up crush but too overcome with amazement of discount to complain.
22. 9.30am Queues at tils bigger than the 8am queues outside. People staggering out of stores laden down with bags, like a heat of Worlds Strongest Man.
23. 10am. Boots run out of carrier bags.
24. 11am. Website back up but everything sold out.
25. 1pm. Stores everywhere sold out. Shelves empty like desecration after a swarm of locusts has decended, bar some Yardley gift sets and half the contents of a joules hatbox.
26. A lucky MSE'er who forgot all about it just happens to wander past a local Boots store on her way back to work from the a dentist's appointment. The 75% sale is on, but they have stumbled upon the only Boots in the country that no-one else has been to. Rows and rows of No7 gift sets and plenty of Soap & Glory bags left. No pushing, no shoving, the whole Boots store to herself, with SA's kindly holding her bags for her.
27. Thats it. Done and dusted. All over for another year!

so blinkin truellll... love it!!

Desperado99

Desperado99 wrote: »

Stuff is still coming online...


This has only appeared today, for those that remember the big French Connection sets from last year, the contents are almost identical but the box is a different colour.


Alas, I have no need of one (because I got last years!) so here is the link:

http://www.boots.com/en/French-Connection-Luxury-Line-Up_1687882/


Except it's now OOS

It's adding to basket ATM (blink and you'll miss it)

Africat

annabelinda12 wrote: »

I have a couple of teacher friends and they both seem to get lots of Baylis and Harding sets as gifts and both say they hate them and 'donate' them to charity things, so if you enter a raffle in the Manchester area, you may win one! Personally, I think that toiletries are a risky thing to buy as a gift unless you know that the recipient either already uses them or covets them (Molton Brown, Jo Malone , Diptyque etc)

Know what you mean about toiletries being a bit risky; a lot of people are 'particular' about what they use and stick to specific ranges, either through personal choice or sensitive skin etc..
I am guilty of buying cheap in the sales and stashing it away and I'll be in the queue ready for 70% day but I am quite selective about what I get....
I avoid sets that have a 'bar of soap' in them as you don't always know if people use them - a lot of people use liquid soap these days. A lot of people also don't use the body lotions.
I only buy stuff that comes in either a bag/box which will get reused and avoid all the overly packaged items.
I avoid sets that have a 'useless' item in - again that probably won't get used - water bottles, wrist bands, pedometers etc...
Some of the home fragrance & home items Boots have in the sale are a nice alternative to toiletries as people do get sick of receiving them. My local this morning had some lovely candles and reed diffusers left but again I guess you have to know that the intended recipient likes that sort of stuff!
I'll be getting a few nice toiletry sets with stuff in that will all get used (for myself), then some reed diffuser sets, candles, socks sets, shot 2 go frames etc & some beer / lager sets etc so stuff that's makes nice extra little stocking fillers rather than giving as main presents.
I know what you mean about Bayliss & Harding; unfortunately both me & my Mum got some for Christmas and neither of us can stand the stuff!! The brand has come on over the last few years & some of the packaging looks nice but the quality of the toiletries inside unfortunately isn't.

Africat

Just a reminder to everyone as peops are likely to forget in all the excitement....
Don't forget your carrier bags & bags for life etc on 70% day; we don't want to be having to shell out all those 5p coins to get the stuff home!!!