A good deal or a good deal of waste? How to be more conscious about your consumption during sales periods

‘While it can feel good to click “buy now” in the moment, ending up with piles of barely used impulse purchases leads to a particular kind of shame, regret (and clutter).’ Composite: Getty Images

Whether the discount is offered on social media, via email or in a banner on your favourite website, if a business you’ve ever been a patron of is having a sale you can be sure they’ll find a way to tell you.

“Temporary sales events are aimed at leveraging FOMO,” says Jason Pallant, a senior lecturer in marketing at RMIT University. “The idea is to make consumers feel like they will miss out on a great bargain if they don’t buy something right away.”