Tomorrow is a BIG day. It’s the beginning of an event that only comes around once a year. One of those events that requires careful planning, sleep, and buckets of coffee – tomorrow marks the beginning of early access to Nordstrom’s acclaimed Anniversary Sale!
I am a Nordstrom girl at heart. There are picture of me in my toddler years at the entrance of the Stanford Nordstrom with my grandmother and mom – three generations of Italian women with a fervent passion for markdowns. And years of Olympic-level shopping has taught me that there are tricks to navigating a sale.
However, without a Nordstrom here in Fresno, I’ll be doing my shopping from the sidelines via a laptop screen. I know a lot of people have a fear of online shopping – they don’t trust the process and I totally get that. But, I am here to a guide for those without a Nordstrom (or Cafe Bazille *sigh*) outside their front door.
In the past – when I was still a novice online shopper – I would get overwhelmed and exhausted by the hundreds of webpages filled with sale content on Nordstrom’s site. After a couple hours, my eyes would cross, my head would ache, and I would give up. But, more recently, I’ve figured out that shopping the Anniversary Sale online requires skill and strategy. These are the tips that I have found make sale shopping so much more accessible and not so stressful, because shopping should never be stressful.
- Get a Nordstrom Card: It sounds labor-intensive but its a time-saver and the golden ticket that gives you early access to the Anniversary Sale – and when I say early, I mean 8 days early. You don’t have to wait for your card to arrive by mail before using it to access the sale early online, and you even get a $40 credit on your first purchase with the card. You need this, enough said. (click here for the link to apply for one!)
- Create a Wishlist: Sign into your account (create one if you don’t already have one -you won’t regret it) and start adding things you like to your wishlist a day or two before the sale begins. That way, rather than scroll aimlessly through thousands of products and potentially forget about something you saw earlier, you have a checklist already made. This allows you to tackle the sale head-on by adding your favorites to your cart before their gone!
- Filter by Size: Nothing is worse than finding out that the one thing you must buy isn’t available in your size. So, cut your losses and filter sale items by your size. This way your not wasting time and experiencing the heartache of your size being out of stock.
- Look for Gifts: Now is the time to stock up on gifts for friends whose birthdays you know are just around the corner. People often forget about the “Home and Gifts” and “Beauty” categories on Nordstrom’s website but they offer great deals during the anniversary sale too!
- Think Ahead: It may only be summer, but don’t let fall sneak up on you unprepared! Nothing sucks more than when the weather changes and all you can find in your closet are cutoffs and espadrilles. Trench coats and high quality sweaters will definitely go on sale during the Anniversary Sale, as will boots. If you’re insecure about being seen in last season’s fall/winter collection, google fall/winter trends 2018 before puling a trigger on a pair of knee high boots or chunky sweater. That way, you feel can feel confident, because darlin’, you’ll look beautiful as long as you feel beautiful!
- Shop Nordstrom Brands: Nordstrom carries a lot of brands exclusively through their site and these will be the first items to go on sale. Brands like BP. and Leith are carried only through Nordstrom while others like Topshop are feature brands that Nordstrom will mark down significantly. Of course, if you’re looking for designer sunglasses that’s a different story, just know going into the sale that you’ll have better luck filtering by Nordstrom-carried brands if you’re looking for the best deal.
Hope these tips get you ready for one of the biggest sales of the year! Grab your coffee, take a seat, and start shopping!
-xo Grace
Outfit Details
Bodysuit by BP. | Shorts by Blank NYC | Earrings by Anthropologie | Shoes by See by Chloé | Sunglasses by Quay