Zara shopping hacks you never knew about from former employees

Zara's sale is on right now and whether you're planning on treating yourself to some new loungewear (opens in new tab), a pair of ankle boots (opens in new tab) or the perfect winter coat (opens in new tab), if there's one thing savvy shoppers need it's a Zara cheat sheet. 

From their returns policy to the best day to shop, and the secret to bagging a bargain, here's a complete guide to all the Zara shopping hacks you need to know, to help you save a bit of time and money. Thanks us later. 

Zara's returns policy

While it's easy to return Zara items, the high street chain has made a major change to its policy, in that it will now charge you for it. If you choose the drop-off option where you bring the items to a third party rather than return to a store, you'll now be charged £1.95, which will be deducted from your refund sum. You'll still get 30 days to return your unwanted items.

Website navigation tip

Another week, another viral Zara TikTok hack (opens in new tab), and this time it's one that will make your shopping experience online way less stressful. If you go to the top right of the site in any section, you'll see a 'View' toggle. Slide it to the right, and the products will appear in an orderly fashion, skipping the moving images and pretty shoots that aren't that useful to your browsing.

This way, you'll be able to see and shop all the products on the page, much more easily.

Zara sizing hack

This TikTok Zara size hack (opens in new tab) went viral in summer, explaining that each label has a symbol on it which indicates whether it's true to size or not.

These symbols can be found on both the purchase tag (at the top) and the inner label. It’s believed a circle symbol means the item runs large, while a square means that it’s true to size, and a triangle indicates that it runs small. This way, you can skip the queues as you'll already know whether to get your normal size, or go one up or down.

The best days to shop at Zara

According to Zara employees, the best days to shop online are usually Monday and Thursday. This is because they are the main days for new product drops. While the majority of products are listed on a Monday or Thursday, there are odd new pieces that get listed on the site most other days too.

The best time to shop at Zara

In terms of going into a store, it's pretty obvious that the morning is the best time of day to go. Fresh stock will be put out and everything will be ordered nicely, plus there won't be many people around, meaning you can beat the queues both at the changing rooms and at checkout. As soon as 1pm hits though, the queues will snake around the shop as people on their lunch breaks try to buy something.

How to find the best discounts in the sale

Apparently, Zara employees are told to put the most expensive sale items at the front of the store, in the hope that these will go first. So, if you want to grab a real bargain, head to the back of the store or rack. This is often where you'll find the dregs of the sale even after it's officially ended.

How to get faster shipping at Zara

This doesn't necessarily work every time, but I've noticed that if I get an item shipped to a store, it's usually available much quicker for pickup (usually the next day) than it would if I chose normal delivery. Plus, this way you get free delivery, and it's more environmentally friendly as it'll likely be delivered with other stock or orders.

It's probably dependent on stock at your local store as well, so be mindful that you've got a better chance of this happening if you live close to a bigger Zara store.

Does Zara still do special prices?

Although it's not advertised as a sale, the Zara Special Prices section is essentially a sale. You'll find it in the dropdown section under 'women.' It's labelled pink, so you can't miss it.

In there, you’ll find clothing from every category, from dresses to coats and shoes, some of them reduced by as much as 60% off. Although it used to be Zara's more basic pieces, now it seems to even include current collections.

Zara sold out items

Missed out on an item? There are Zara shopping hacks for that. I've noticed that a lot of the best-sellers often get restocked, even a year later if they've been extra popular.

If an item is on the verge of being re-stocked, it'll have a 'coming soon' message with an envelope next to the sold out size. Click on it to add your email address, then you'll be alerted by email as soon as it gets re-stocked.

Zara has also started adding new products before they launch, as a kind of 'sneak peek' so this is a good way to ensure you don't miss out on new launches.

Be aware that you won't be the only person signed up for these alerts, so be quick to log on to the site as soon as you get the email.

You can also check the availability of the item in store, but I've found that the tool isn't always accurate, as it can take a few hours for the store's stocks to align with the online ones.

Zara discount codes

Sadly, Zara famously doesn't do discount codes, nor do they offer student discounts, so if you're after a bargain, you'll have to wait for the sales. 

Zara sales 2022 UK

On top of the two big annual end of season sales, there are a few smaller ones peppered throughout the year.

Zara hardly ever reveals when its sale will happen, so the best way to know in advance is to sign up to the newsletter (opens in new tab), because you will usually get notified in advance.

My top tip: create an account if you haven't already and bookmark any items you've got your eye on. This way you can easily see which items have been reduced and add them to your shopping basket quickly.

If you want extra discounts, it's worth being patient. Historically, although Zara sales start with an 'up to 50% off message', not all items are reduced by that much. If you can wait a week or two, more lines will be added to the sale and discounts will increase.

Zara free delivery

The cheapest way to get your Zara order delivered is to get it sent directly to a store of your choice, for free. However, if you're spending over £50, then your shipping will be free regardless.

If you'd like guaranteed next-day delivery, Zara charges £4.95. Or if you'd like same-day delivery within London, the brand charges £7.95. Be mindful though, that you are only eligible for same-day delivery if you're within London and your order is placed before 2 PM.

Zara beauty hack

If you're looking to stock up on some makeup, you have to check out the Zara Beauty section (opens in new tab). It features stunning eyeshadow, lipstick, nail polish and accessories in cruelty-free formulas, beautiful refillable packaging and over 130 dreamy colours. With prices starting at just £5.99, the Zara beauty (opens in new tab) section is well worth it.

Zara home hack

This tip doesn’t actually involve the main site, but instead Zara home (opens in new tab). Did you know that as well as homeware, Zara Home sells some amazing loungewear too? It’s not all cheap but there are some great pieces like trousers and tunics for under £30..