Knowing how to shop a brick-and-mortar store is different than knowing how to shop online : we tend to take the quick click route—which is the shortest amount of time between the loading of the front page and checkin’ out. Meaning that, while in an actual store we would take our time, peruse the clearance rack, check the sales flier, rifle through the racks to see if someone stashed that last half-off, size medium blue cashmere cardigan in the wrong section, online we tend to search for our item, pop it in the shopping cart, and go. Which saves time but might cost us money. Which is the opposite of budget shopping.
So, we’re going to throw some tips your way for shopping one of our favorite online stops—Bluefly.com. Right up front, however, we’ll tell you—Bluefly is no Forever21—you’re not going to find six tops and a winter coat for under 50 bucks. Bluefly specializes in designer goods at a discount, which means a potentially great cost per wear ratio. So, now that we’re in the right mindset, some advice:
Start in the Sale Section. We know, we know. It’s your lunch hour and you’d really like to focus on that styrofoam cup of minestrone that you’ve been so looking forward to. But trust us—the extra time is worth it. Bluefly doesn’t really have a clearance section, so sale is it—but sale here actually does mean huge discounts (at this writing, for example, up to 75% off. Nice). Superior sorting capabilities will allow you to weed out items by category, size, designer, color, and price. So, for example, if you’re looking for a black Diane Von Furstenberg dress, you’ll see if there’s one on sale in about 3.2 seconds.
Sign up for the E-Newsletter. Enter your email in the handy little box at the bottom left hand corner of the home page, and you’ll get sale alerts in your inbox. Which, at Bluefly actually means something—their sales translate to pretty meaningful discounts, and frequently run only a day or two (as opposed to those department store “sales” that seem to run longer than a presidential election campaign)—so if you blink you’ve missed them. A heads up, in this case, can actually save you some cash.
Search for Online Coupon Codes Before You Check Out. This advice goes for shopping any online retailer—go to a reputable site like RetailMeNot.com and search “Bluefly.com” for discount links and codes. Today we found a link for $20 off and free shipping at Bluefly—the codes you’ll find online don’t ALWAYS work but it’s always worth a shot. And search us here at TBF too (er, shameless self-promotion alert) as we always try to give you the heads up on Bluefly deals as we find ‘em . . .
The Wedding Shop. In case you didn’t know, Bluefly.com has recently introduced the Wedding 2.0 shop (“With This Click, I Thee Wear”—very clever). If you’re a designer-loving bride to be, you will be in bridezilla heaven when you take a peek at the selection of designer bridesmaid dresses at huge discounts (a BCBGMAXAZRIA Origami Pleated Dress, regularly $258, for $154, anyone?) as well as glam mother of the bride dresses, and suits, ties, and shirts for groomsmen. Also shoes and accessories for all. Also a section of appropriate apparel if you just happen to be going to a wedding. We like this section so much we’re thinking of buying something and crashing a wedding. But that’s just between you and us.
Take Advantage of Bluefly’s Bill Me Later Option. If you truly are shopping online because you actually only have 6 minutes to spare, sign up for the Bill Me Later option. This is subject to approval, but essentially puts your purchases into a monthly statement which you can pay in full or make minimum monthly payments on. Wait a minute, this sounds suspiciously like a credit card. Hmmmmm. Well, we guess it pretty much is, even if you don’t get a pretty little plastic card to fill up a space in your wallet, so, knowing this—take advantage of it for the convenience, but ONLY if you know you’ll be paying it off each and every month you use it so as to avoid interest charges. Other payment options include Bluefly and Google Checkout which are also secure, convenient, and quick.
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I’ve shopped Bluefly for about 7 years now and usually am very satisfied with the deals. It took a few orders for me to realize, though, that much of their brands are very form-fitting (tight) and a bit younger in style that I (40-something) can pull off. Their shoes and accessories are great!