7 Secret Ways to Save Money at Anthropologie

anthropologie

The clothes at Anthropologie take my breath away, but so do the price tags.

For years, I believed this was a store I couldn’t afford. The dreamy gifts and clothes seemed just out of reach.

Then I allowed my inner maven out. I became committed to figuring out how to fit the words “Anthropologie” and “save money” into the same sentence and into my clothes budget.

I studied Anthropologie like an anthropologist. I’ve discovered 7 ways to save money and enjoy the beautiful offerings of the store. I hope these are helpful to you:

#1. Join the club.

At checkout, you’ll be asked if you’re a member of Anthro’s loyalty club. Your answer should be yes, yes, and more yes. The club promises, “exclusive parties and events, first dibs on new arrivals, access to a personal stylist, and a special birthday discount.” As long as you sign up 30 days before your birthday, you’ll enjoy a 15% off coupon through email. But the real value is that once you’re a member, they keep track of all of your purchases so you can return items without a receipt.

This is foundational for the rest of the money saving tips.

#2. Take advantage of Anthro’s return policy.

Not all brands at Anthro are created equal. Though both offer adorable designs, the prices for the brands of Moth differ from HDParis. So does the quality. Anthropologie offers a one-year return policy on their clothes. Think Nordstrom or Costco, but with a one-year limit.

That’s a nice warranty for anything you buy. If the sweater pills, the sleeve splits, or the button pops off, take the item back. The funds will return to the original source of the purchase. If you purchase on a credit card, the refund will return to the credit card, cash for cash, and gift card for gift card.

#3. Watch for 14-day price drops.

Anthro’s pricing policy includes a magical clause. If the item you purchase goes is discounted or a sale becomes available within 14-days of the purchase, they will refund you the difference.

If you purchase in-store, you must return to a brick and mortar store to receive the refund. But if you order online, simply call and they’ll refund the difference on your credit card.

#4. Save an additional 10%-20% through gift card re-sellers.

My favorite source is giftcardgranny.com. This site claims to be “the leading gift card exchange” source. People who returned something to Anthro and received a gift card are selling them at a discount for cash. Giftcardgranny.com is an aggregator of other sellers. On average, I save an additional 17% on all my Anthropologie by using the links on this site.

But here’s the catch. Every site that resells a gift card only insures the card for so many days. 10. 30. 45. 100. Read the fine print. Or better yet, when you know you’re going to shop at Anthro in the next 48 hours, purchase an e-giftcard and spend it all immediately. Any purchases are returnable to Anthro (see #1 and #2), and you’ll never lose the value of what you purchased.

#5. Know the sales cycles.

Anthro tends to release new products a the first of the month. The website tends to mark items on sale or reduce them further around midnight on Sundays. Keep an eye on the site for markdowns early Monday morning. Make friends with your in-store sales associate to find out which day markdowns are currently being made. That’s the day to visit the store’s sales room and save big. Plus, if you know the sales cycles, you can stack discounts.

For instance, when Anthro offered 40% off everything on sale, I looked at my recent receipts. I had purchased a black dress which retailed for $168 for $99 just 8 days earlier. I called Anthro, and received a $40 refund. So the $168 dress cost $61.

#6. Keep an eye on eBay.

If an item sells out before going on sale, you may be able to find it on eBay. Around the time a product drops in price, you’ll usually find a flood of them on ebay. Before you purchase, keep in mind the following:

Just because an eBay seller says it’s an Anthropologie item doesn’t mean that it’s true. I recently purchased a super cute sweatshirt that the seller said was from Anthro, but the item arrived I could tell something was off. I googled the brand and discovered Anthro never carried it. Always cross check the brand name on the list of brands that Anthropolgie sells on their site, here.
Look for the presence of the Anthropologie tag or NWT (New With Tags) or a picture of from the Anthro site or catalog.
If you have a made-for-Anthro brand you love, search for it on eBay on a regular basis. You’ll be surprised and delight at what pops up.

#7. Grab the app.

I’m not sure if it’s intentional or a glitch, but sales on the site and the app are sometimes delayed. Though a sale ends one day on the site, I’ve caught the sale continuing on the app for a day or a two longer on occasion giving you a bigger window for savings.

With a little effort, you can look like you dressed effortlessly. And never have to pay full price at Anthropologie again. Unless you find the I-can’t-live-without-this piece. And even then, remember the receipt is on your loyalty account. So if the price ever drops—or disappears then becomes available again, you can snag the savings.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to save big at Anthropologie?

Recommended Resources:

Effortless Anthropolgie Blog (an awesome resource for snagging great deals!)

Slaying the Debt Dragon by Cherie Lowe (The Queen of Free)

Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup