The sales: what to buy and where

ASOS
The Asos sale started last week, with discounts of up to 50 per cent, which will gradually increase to 70 per cent cuts as the sale progresses. As well as Asos's own-brand clothing and accessories, items by brands such as River Island, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Superdry may be reduced in the sale. Star buy: Printed dress reduced to €81 in the sale, from €135. asos.com

ARNOTTS
The winter sale at Ireland's largest department store starts at 9am on St Stephens's Day, with up to 50 per cent off leading brands in homeware, fashion, accessories and lingerie – including 50 per cent off selected linens, duvets and towels. An online foray will reap dividends; the sale on the website starts tomorrow at midnight. Star buy: Jill Stuart dress, reduced by 50 per cent, from €315 to €157.50. arnotts.ie

AVOCA
December 27th is winter sale day at Avoca, with up to 60 per cent off autumn-winter fashion in menswear, womenswear and childrenswear. If you're lucky you could catch the odd discount in items for the home, too – brands stocked include Jamie Oliver and Orla Kiely's kitsch range of kitchen storage solutions. Just don't expect any money off your scone. avoca.ie

BASTYAN
The sale at Bastyan, the sleek clothing label that looks far more expensive than it is (although we're talking €150-odd for a dress, so this ain't cheap), available at Brown Thomas, started yesterday – with up to 50 per cent off styles from the autumn-winter collections. bastyan.co.uk

BOW
The sale at Bow Boutique in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, which stocks jewellery by MoMuse, knitwear by Irish brand Electronic Sheep and a great vintage selection curated by co-owner Wendy Crawford, starts tomorrow at 9am with up to 30 per cent off clothing and selected jewellery. bowpowerscourt.com

BOW & PEARL
The sale at the Ranelagh shop starts at 10am on December 27th , with up to 60 per cent off clothing and accessories. Star buy: Metallic jacket by Danish brand Soaked in Luxury, was €120, now €60. bowandpearl.com

BROWN THOMAS AND BT2
St Stephens's Day is the day for sales shoppers at Brown Thomas and BT2, where doors will open at 9am (expect queues) for hefty discounts of up to 60 per cent across all departments – womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, jewellery, shoes, lingerie and homewares. Our advice? Bring a friend and have a big coffee before you brave it. brownthomas.ie

BUFFALO
German shoe brand Buffalo's winter sale started last week, with up to 60 per cent discounts on a range of styles from autumn-winter – and 50 per cent off all shoes by designer Kat Maconie. A pair of black biker boots that was €145 now costs €95, while Kat Maconie's Alana shoe boot is reduced from €275 to €138.
facebook.com/buffalodublin

CA DESIGN
The sale at CA Design's pop-up shop on Dublin's South Lott Street will take place on January 4th and 11th, but online at cadesign.ie things kick off a little earlier, on St Stephens's Day. Star buy: Le Corbusier slingback chair, reduced from €495 to €395. cadesign.ie

CARRAIG DONN
The sale in 32 stores nationwide (including a newly-opened flagship in the Jervis Centre) and online, starts on December 27th, with discounts of up to 50 per cent on items from brands including J'Aime la Vie and Pala Doro. carraigdonn.com

CHOICE BOUTIQUE
Outlets in Sandycove, Stillorgan, Sutton, Kilkenny, Galway and Ballina are jumping into the winter sales on December 27th, with 30 per cent off "most lines" – and up to 50 per cent off selected items. Keep an eye out for pieces by Irish label Peruzzi. choiceboutique.ie

CLERYS
The O'Connell Street department store, newly reopened after flood damage earlier in the year, started its winter sale last week – with up to 50 per cent off selected styles in ladieswear, childrenswear and lingerie. As a once-off, Clerys will be offering 30 per cent off selected fragrances and 30 per cent off all autumn-winter handbags on St Stephens's Day. clerys.ie

COAST
Those in search of some cut-price occasionwear could do worse than to check out Coast's offerings – the once ubiquitous wedding clothes brand has had an injection of cool in recent collections, and there are slick cigarette trousers and leather-panelled tees on offer next to the satin dresses in the sale, which started last week. Discounts are up to 50 per cent on selected styles. coast-stores.com

COLDLILIES
The sale starts on January 1st and will run, while stocks last, until January 31st. The online jewellery emporium is offering discounts of up to 30 per cent on designers including Niza Huang, Eily O'Connell, Blaithin Ennis and more. Star buy: Yellow pendant, was €75, now €67.50, by Muireann Walshe; pink pendant, was €140, now €126, by Muireann Walshe; neon multistrand necklace by Sonal Talgeri Bhaskaran, was €175, now €122.50; orange and pink amulet by Sonal Talgeri Bhaskaran, was €105, now €73.50; cocktail ring by Sonal Talgeri Bhaskaran, was €200 now €140. coldlilies.com

COSTUME
The sale, one of the most eagerly anticipated among those in the know, starts at midday on December 27th. Costume, founded by sisters Anne, Leigh and Tracy Tucker in 1997, was the first place in Ireland to stock Roland Mouret and Alice Temperley, and the €100 rail often includes items that would once have cost four figures. costumedublin.ie

DEBENHAMS
What Debenhams is calling its "biggest ever" half-price sale starts online on Christmas Eve, with 50 per cent off selected items across all departments. The smart money's on anything by Debenham's "Edition" designers, including Preen, Jonathan Saunders and Roksanda Ilincic, and of course John Rocha's candy-pink coat. debenhams.ie

ELLEN B
The sale at the boutiques in Malahide and Clontarf starts at 10am on Friday, December 27th, with up to 50 per cent off brands including Irish designer Heidi Higgins and Italian brands Fabiana Filippi and Twin Set. Star buy: Fitted Heidi Higgins "Gabriella" dress, reduced from €395 to €199. ellenb.ie

FIELDS
The sale starts on St Stephens's Day, with up to 50 per cent off a large selection of watches and jewellery, including branded items – one Gucci watch will be reduced from €780 to €390. Thank us later. fields.ie

FITZPATRICKS SHOES
The sale is now on, with up to 50 per cent off selected autumn-winter stock from Fitzpatricks' own-brand shoes, which include loads of value-for-money classic styles, and well-known names such as Ash and Ugg. fitzpatricksshoes.com

FRAN & JANE
Fran & Jane's winter sale started on December 20th, with up to 70 per cent off the Irish label's autumn-winter stock in the mother-daughter-designed brand's stand-alone stores and concessions in Arnotts and Brown Thomas. Star buy: Brea 1 houndstooth dress with detachable collar was €179, now €90. franandjane.com
THE GIFT MERCHANT @ MAYFIELD
The Gift Merchant in Terenure (while you're in Mayfield, have a cake – trust us) is currently offering up to 50 per cent off Eliza Vale jewellery, designed by Dublin-based Mancunian, Katie Townend, until December 31st. Star buy: The Tyto necklace was €218 and is now €92. elizavale.com

LIFE STYLE SPORTS
There will be up to 50 per cent off selected products during the sale, which starts online on Christmas Day (whaddya mean, your family instigates a technology ban?) and in stores on St Stephens's Day (check with your local branch for opening hours). lifestylesports.com

H&M
The Swedes started early – their sale is on now, with up to 60 per cent off items from the autumn-winter collection and many items priced at €7 or under (if you're brave enough to face the rails). Just don't expect any items to remain from November's Isabel Marant collaboration – check eBay if you don't believe us. hm.com

HACKETT
The sale started last week, with discounts from 20-60 per cent off previous season's stock. The menswear shop is also offering significant discounts on suits from its personal tailoring service, which now start from €700 (previously from €990). hackett.com

HARVEY NICHOLS
The sale starts at 10am on St Stephens's Day, with up to 50 per cent off fashion and accessories. Savvy shoppers will have their eyes on items by Alice & Olivia, Red Valentino and Vince – and shoes by US brand Sam Edelman. Star buy: Ruched pink top by Alice & Olivia, was €270, now €135 – that's a 50 per cent discount. harveynichols.com

HEATONS
The sale begins online on St Stephen's Day and in-store on December 27th at 10am, with up to 50 per cent off across ladieswear, menswear, childrenswear and homeware. Do a bit of digging and you'll unearth the brand's hidden gems: 100 per cent lambswool jumpers, which are an absolute bargain. heatonsstores.com

HOUSE OF FRASER
The sale starts on St Stephens's Day at 9am, with up to 50 per cent off in-store, including womenswear and menswear (but excluding beauty). The UK department store's own brand, Label Lab, often has great pieces – and the Mary Portas collection is definitely worth elbowing some fellow shoppers for. Star buy: crepe dress by Mary Portas, at a 50 per cent discount, down from €129 to €64.50. hof.co.uk

KAREN MILLEN
Discounts on autumn-winter stock began last Thursday. Prices have been slashed by up to 50 per cent on tailored jackets and coats, multicoloured printed silk dresses and funky shoes and handbags. Just avoid anything with super-obvious branding – subtlety is the new big thing. karenmillen.com

LOUIS COPELAND
The sale at the "gentleman's outfitters" starts on St Stephens's Day, with a 10am start in its Dublin city stores – and a slightly earlier 9am launch in Dundrum Town Centre – with up to 50 per cent off casualwear (think slacks and short-sleeved shirts) and suits. Two Louis Copeland suits are on offer at €699 (usually €499 each) and Barbour coats will have up to 30 per cent off. Once again, the online early bird catches the worm – the sale starts on the website on Christmas Day. louiscopeland.com

MARIAN GALE
The sale starts on December 27th, with huge discounts on the past season's dresses, and the Donnybrook-based bridal and occasionwear boutique will have its full range of 2014 Communion dresses in store. mariangale.ie

MOSS COTTAGE
This cute-as-a-button homeware shop on Dundrum's Main Street is offering up to 40 per cent off autumn-winter stock. Go now and you could be lucky enough to nab some seriously unusual Christmas decorations at a big discount. Star buy: Ursula Celano's Irish dancer-print tote bag is reduced to €12, from €24.95. moss.ie

MY-WARDROBE
The e-tailer's sale started last week, with up to 50 per cent off autumn-winter stock from labels including Acne, Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood, Carven and more. Packaging is lovely and there's a two-week returns period in case your chosen bargain doesn't quite fit around your second helping of turkey. my-wardrobe.com

NET-A-PORTER
The online designer sale at Net-a-Porter starts today, with discounts of between 30 and 50 per cent off autumn-winter designs by Sophia Webster, Isabel Marant, Miu Miu and tons more. Do not be tempted by super-expensive sportswear, even if it is half price: it will not make you go to the gym more. Star buy: Young shoe designer Sophia Webster's metallic cut-out sandals will be reduced by 50 per cent, from €610 to €305. net-a-porter.com

NEXT
Pity the staff at Next, who will be up with – and even before – the dawn for the UK brand's winter sale, which kicks off at 6am on St Stephens's Day. There's at least 50 per cent off everything in store, from ladieswear to childrenswear, and, if you pick the right branch, homeware. Those who camp out in their droves seem to do so for the childrenswear, which is great quality and, for a limited period, sinfully cheap. nextdirect.com

NOA NOA
The sale started on Friday, with up to 30 per cent off autumn-winter stock, and 20 per cent off the brand's Christmas collection. The brand stocks a large range of casual and formal womenswear, as well as a small selection of childrenswear, called "miniatures", in its two stores –in Dublin (South Anne Street) and Cork (Oliver Plunkett Street). noanoaireland.com

RIVER ISLAND
The sale at River Island's Dublin city branches – Grafton Street and Henry Street – starts at 8am on St Stephens's Day, with reductions of up to 60 per cent on selected items. Local branch opening times may vary, so do check if you're planning on making an early-morning hike. Star buy: Metallic cranberry knitted jumper, was €50, now €24. Star buy: riverisland.com
ROCOCO
Rococo in Glasthule and Galway started its sale on Friday, both in-store and online, with a guaranteed 20 per cent off all past-season fashion – and up to 60 per cent off selected lines. rococoonline.ie

SAMUI
Samui boutique in Cork started its sale early the week before last, but will be continuing discounts of up to 30 per cent on brands such as Peter Pilotto, Acne and Phillip Lim. samuifashions.com

SCHUH
The Schuh sale starts today, with up to 50 per cent off styles from the shoe shop's autumn-winter collections – think burgundy faux-leather ankle boots and super-sparkly platform courts. schuh.co.uk

SEAGREEN
The winter sale in the outlets in Ranelagh and Monkstown starts on December 27th at 9am, offering up to 50 per cent off brands including Tibi, Iro, Lucy Choi and Niamh O'Neill. seagreen.ie

SOUL WOMAN
The Glasthule shop started its sale last week, with 30 per cent off everything in-store – a pair of suede ankle boots that once cost €335 are now €235, while a pretty printed tea dress (with capped sleeves) is €87.50, down from €125.
facebook.com/soulwomanshop

URBAN OUTFITTERS
The sale at Urban Outfitters in Temple Bar and Dundrum starts tomorrow, with up to 50 per cent off the shop's range of vintage-inspired hipster clothing and accessories. Keep an eye out for savings in Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood and denim by Danish brand Cheap Monday. urbanoutfitters.co.uk
WAREHOUSE
The sale is on now, with up to 50 per cent off last season's stock – think oversized mannish tailoring in coats and bright printed dresses, with the odd statement knit and oversized necklace. warehouse.co.uk