Aritzia hauls are all over the Internet, flaunting stylish apparel and smart casual looks. If you haven’t heard the name before, the Canadian boutique is similar to Zara or Asos — aesthetics-wise, at least. And since Aritzia has been opening more and more locations in the U.S., the store has been exploding in popularity. But the store’s got a lot of people wondering if Artizia ever goes on sale. Well, the answer is yes — in fact, there’s an Aritzia sale happening right now!
Because if you’re on a budget, the price tag isn’t ideal at Aritzia. A sweater at list price can easily cost upwards of $100 (USD) while a blazer borders on $200. If you want the “everyday luxury” the brand promises without blowing your budget, I’ve got some clever store hacks to help you save tons of money, even outside the seasonal Aritzia sale. From info on secret sales to little-known free services you can take advantage of in-store, here are my favorite tips.
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Shop our Favorite Finds from the Aritzia Sale
1. Besides seasonal sales, you can score discounts of up to 70% year-round when you shop their online sale section.
Luckily, Aritizia has sales pretty regularly. These usually fall at the end of the season, likely to clear out old inventory and make space for the upcoming season’s goods. For example, their Summer Sale promises up to 70% off select styles through Aug. 9, 2023.
Similarly, their Black Friday sale (called Black Five Day because it’s five days long) offers up to 50% off certain items. For year-round offerings, though, you can always browse their online sale section.
Just keep in mind that all of these sales are final. Aritzia uses vanity sizing (i.e. a sizing system that is not uniform across products and styles) so be sure to double-check that the items you want are the right size. If you’re iffy about whether or not something will fit you, then try it on in-store. Because once you buy it, there are no returns.
2. Sign up for emails so you’ll know about exclusive sales.
While we roughly know when seasonal sales occur, the best way to stay up-to-date on the exact sale dates is to sign up for emails. Added bonus: You’ll also know about flash sales or last-minute deals.
Signing up for email alerts also increases your chances of potentially being invited to join Aritizia’s VIP list, the Aritzia Clientele (which I’ll get more into next).
One bummer though: Usually, you can get a small discount when you sign up for a retailer’s newsletter or marketing emails. Currently, Aritzia doesn’t reward new shoppers with a subscriber discount.
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3. Aritzia Clientele gets invites to exclusive sales. But getting invited to join Clientele is a super secret process.
This is one of the most secretive Aritzia hacks. Aritzia Clientele can take advantage of the twice-annual Clientele sales. There’s one in summer and one right before Black Friday. What makes these sales any different from their general-access seasonal sales? Well, according to previously invited shoppers, everything sees price drops during the Clientele Sale. That’s right, the whole store is 10-50% off. That includes styles and colors that are typically never on sale, such as neutrals and closet basics. Some Clientele shoppers also receive exclusive gifts with purchase.
So how do you get on the list? That’s where things get tricky. The official Aritzia site doesn’t have any information about the criteria to become Clientele. There isn’t an application you can submit, only a log-in portal for members who are already invited. As such, there’s a bit of speculation on how you can score an invite.
The most concrete information I could find is from a 2-year-old Reddit post on r/Aritzia. In the post is a photo of a notice that was supposedly posted in a California store. Since the information is a bit older and the only language refers to California stores, it’s hard to say how much it’ll apply to shoppers nationwide in 2023. But, based on my findings in posts made by other alleged VIPs, there seems to be some validity.
So what’s written in the notice from the original post? Between all the legal jargon, four qualifications are noted:
- You must be at least 13 years or older.
- You must have a current email address with Aritzia.
- You’ll have to spend a minimum of $150 (taxes, gift cards, and items that were returned don’t count toward that number) within a two-year period leading up to the sale.
- To get a free gift with purchase at Clientele Sales, you must meet all the other requirements, plus have spent a minimum of $2,000. Once again, this figure doesn’t include taxes, gift cards, or items that were returned.
4. Get a $50 gift card when you join the Aritzia research community.
Aritzia has a research group where they talk about how they can improve their stores and the overall shopping experience. Participants are compensated with a gift card. The only catch is you have to be approved to join the research community. Luckily, the application isn’t particularly difficult. It’s just a short 14-question survey. While there’s no guarantee you’ll be chosen, it’s not difficult to apply. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
And based on a Redditor’s testimony, it’s $50 for relatively easy work. Worth it in my book.
5. Take advantage of the free services offered.
This is probably one of my favorite Aritzia hacks because they really are free. First and foremost, Aritzia offers personal stylist consultations. A personal stylist can help you find styles, cuts, and/or colors that complement your features best. At Aritzia, you can book a completely free appointment with one of these professionals. All you have to do is call your local store for availability. Just note that there’s no way to book online and not all locations take walk-ins.
And, if by some stroke of bad luck, you end up with a defective Aritzia product, they’ll repair the item for free. It only works for things that were damaged because of poor manufacturing though. So if you have a product with a busted seam, you’re covered. But if your clothes have a hole because of everyday wear and tear, you’re on your own.
6. Only two Aritzia outlets exist in the country, but you’ll find the most items on sale there.
Since Aritzia is a Canadian brand, they don’t have a ton of physical outlet locations in America (there are currently only two). Luckily, the locations they do have are near some major metropolitan areas, including Chicago, IL, and Woodbury, NY (a little over an hour North of NYC).
What can you expect from an outlet Aritzia? Well, that’s hard to say since you can’t guarantee what will be in stock or what prices you’ll see at an outlet store, regardless of the brand. Outlet stores are usually full of surplus, last season’s styles, and goods with slight imperfections. It’s kind of hard to predict what’ll end up there ahead of time. However, shoppers have noted that the main difference between an Aritzia outlet and a standard location isn’t really how deep the discounts are, but rather how much is on sale. So in other ways, you won’t necessarily be saving more, but you will be saving on more items.
7. Head to their warehouse sales in Vancouver, Canada if you’re nearby.
Alright, Pacific Northwest shoppers, this Aritzia hack is for you. I know the Warehouse Sale isn’t accessible to everyone, but it’s worth checking out if you’re close to the Canadian border or are going to be in the Vancouver area. The sale typically happens around Labor Day Weekend, which is evidently the same day for both Americans and Canadians. (The only real difference is the spelling.) That said, last year’s sale started the Wednesday before Labor Day (or Labour Day) and ended the Monday of Labor Day. If you wanted to vacation in Canada for the long weekend anyway, you might as well drop by the sale.
Just note that they don’t accept payment with gift cards. And since it’s in Canada, there may be some international fees if you pay by card. I recommend you pull out some Canadian bills beforehand so you only have to pay that one ATM fee. Plus, paying with physical money helps you stick to a budget better. It’s a win-win.
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