Once solely a US phenomenon, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now a big deal in the UK. Retailers around the world, both on and offline, will discount their goods on the last Friday of November and first Monday of December with all-time spending records set to be broken.

No longer do we eagerly await the summer sale. Thanks to daily deals websites, online vouchers, and retailers’ desperation to sell, sell, sell, there's a sale nearly every day. But how does this permanent sale phenomenon affect the way people spend?

In an age of fluctuating fashion trends and disposable clothing, apparel maker Patagonia is on a mission to change how people think about clothes. So what exactly are they selling?

From toothbrushes to paper clips, Harvey Nichols’ special Christmas collection encourages people to buy “a little something” for their loved ones – so they can buy “a bigger something” for themselves. It taps into a growing trend: self-gifting.