The sale

Australia is a consumers paradise but I like to think it's not as over-the-top as the USA.  For me it strikes a balance in between the US and Argentina.  There are lots of individual retailers, from one off boutique stores, to chain stores that are all over the country.  We don't really have the mega-store here, which cater for high turnovers and big numbers of everything and fall into the cheap and nasty category.  And nearly all retailers know how to have a sale and retain their customers, which really goes a long way.  Memberships and mailing lists give regular shoppers discounts and a more personalised shopping experience. 

I recently joined the Borders (bookshop) VIP club, which is free to join and they give you a $20 credit on your card when you sign up.  Twenty dollars to spend in their store for free, just for signing up!  And every week they email you a coupon for a special deal, such as '30% off cookbooks', or 'buy 2 fiction books get 1 free'.  I have never actually seen a book shop have a sale in Buenos Aires, and there are so many book shops that if one of them was to offer discounts and VIP deals, they would attract more customers and make more money. 

Sales and special offers make it so easy to spend money, but you don't have to spend as much of it, and it's definitely a more rewarding experience.