Boxing Day & January Sales: What's Actually Worth Buying

The sales start the moment the wrapping's in the bin. Boxing Day (26 December) rolls straight into the January sales, and for certain things it's one of the best buying windows of the year — if you know where to look.

What's worth buying

• Winter fashion and coats — retailers clear the season hard; some of the year's best clothing discounts land now.
• Furniture and homeware — January is the traditional furniture-sale month, driven by New Year home refreshes.
• Fitness gear — New Year's resolutions mean strong deals on equipment and activewear.
• Leftover Christmas tech — unsold Black Friday stock often gets cut again.

What to skip

Brand-new-season items rarely move, and "sale" Christmas stock (cards, decorations) is cheap but you'll store it for 11 months. As ever, check the price against other shops — a Boxing Day "50% off" is only a deal if it beats what's elsewhere.