Shopping in the US - first timer

[Happy Dude]

Hi folks,

Just doing a little research on shopping in the US. I'll be in NYC and Dallas. I'm keen to stock up on books, dvds and clothes. I'm thinking of doing the shopping online and using a friend's address (in DFW) as a delivery point. Or am I better off seeking out stores (walmart, outlets?) when I get there? I'm OWR on a LONE4 so have the additional baggage (64kgs). It's my first trip to the states.

What to those in the know reckon about US shopping sprees?

Cheers

Happy Dude

 

[munitalP]

Hi

I love Walmart. Clothing is a lot cheaper than what we pay in Australia, and surprisingly, mens shirts etc are made in Bangladesh rather than China, the quality of fabric and construction is different for the better...

I can't comment on DVD's other than to say I know they are zoned, I don't know if this plays a part any more, but years ago unaware of zoning, I bought a bunch of hard to get music DVD's ata market in Tampa, only to find I couldn't play them when I got them home

Books - text you cant get in Australia or just general run of the mill stuff?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Paging Mrs drron !!!

 

[Pooch]

As a regular shopper in the US, I'd say try the outlets for clothing if you've never been there. Whilst not as good as they used to be, they leave anything here for dead! I tend to go with a fairly empty suitcase and have been known to purchase an additional! From NYC, it's about an hour/90 minutes by bus from the Port Authority to the New Jersey outlets (which are the closest) - they're really a mini-town with each store having it's own 'house' ... ahhh, the memories ... it's only been 3 weeks!!

That said, if the sales are on at Bloomingdales and/or Macy's you can often do extremely well at either/both - particularly on a Saturday - for some reason there are often "Saturday only" sales ... you're certainly going at the right time for some great bargains ... even without $-$ parity.

Also, if you're seriously in to money saving, the 'local' papers often have coupons for the larger stores with additional discounts ... which you won't get unless you have the coupon.

Also, Filene's, TJ Maxx ... depends on the day, but they have good brands at ridiculously low prices.

DVDs - online will be easier, and you'll possibly have more choice. Borders/Barnes & Noble don't always have the stock you'd like. "Back in the day" Virgin stores were the must-visits for CDs and DVDs!

Books ... hmm, I've recently converted to a Kindle, but used to frequent the above 2 stores for books that just weren't available here. It can use up a lot of valuable theatre time in NYC (if that's of interest of course!) so again, Amazon with delivery to your friend's address could be the best option.

Happy hunting! Report back ... as 'shoptiludrop' kinda person, I'm always interested in others' experiences.

 

[NM]

Be aware that many USA on-line merchants to checks that the delivery address and the credit card postal address match. So they may not allow you to deliver to a USA address using an Australian credit card. So you may need to get your USA-based friend to purchase for you and then you pay them.

Some things are a lot cheaper in the USA than in Australia, but not all things. You may find that shopping in person opens up more sale/bargain items that are not available on-line. Note that its very unusual for the major chain department stores to not have sales at any particular times of year. Maybe not all items on sale, but certainly some things will be. I normally buy Dockers trousers when in the USA. I just visit a few of the major dept stores and have always found at least one with them on sale.

The outlet stores can be great places for bargains that cannot be found by purchasing on-line. Everything from clothing, shoes etc to luggage and accessories.

Use the local knowledge of your DFW friends to find the best places to shop. If they have membership to places like Costco then you may be able to find a good deals, but only members can shop there.

 

[gumpy]

I end up buying too much when I visit the states...

it's rediculous how cheap it is... it's as if their normal prices are about 50-60% of Australia's prices...

This is for clothes, shoes, sunglasses, cameras, camera lenses etc... hell the commodore is cheaper in the US than it is in Australia...

Apple products aren't cheaper however...

 

[NM]

I end up buying too much when I visit the states...

With the A$ as string as it is (or US$ weak), I am spending way too much money on bargains at the moment. Even with the shipping cost from the USA many things a way cheaper from there. So if travelling to the USA, I would certainly be needed a spare suit case.

 

[pyffii]

Woodbury Common an hour north of Manhattan by GreyLine ( Port Authority Building ) is an upmarket Outlet ( D & G Zegna,Pink,Max plus all the usual ) that is just brilliant...Been there many times and always seem to have to buy a suitcase to bring home all the bargains...Enjoy as its a fabulous experience

 

[Sprucegoose]

Hi folks,

Just doing a little research on shopping in the US. I'll be in NYC and Dallas. I'm keen to stock up on books, dvds and clothes. I'm thinking of doing the shopping online and using a friend's address (in DFW) as a delivery point. Or am I better off seeking out stores (walmart, outlets?) when I get there? I'm OWR on a LONE4 so have the additional baggage (64kgs). It's my first trip to the states.

What to those in the know reckon about US shopping sprees?

Happy Dude

In NYC head down to the world trade centre site and you will find Century 21' quality at a great price.

 

[JohnPhelan]

In NYC, for clothes go to Century 21. It's right opposite 'Ground Zero', where the towers of the World Trade Center stood and the new development is now taking place. Century 21 has a great range of designer and brand-name merchandise at VERY low prices. The merchandise is crammed in, the aisles are narrow, and it can be a bit hard to navigate around, but the savings are worth it. Menswear is on one floor, womens on another floor, footwear in the basement.

As mentioned above, the outlets are pretty good too - though the savings are not as good as at Century 21.

Re DVDs and books, prices in the US are generally cheaper than here, though now that we're at parity with the USD, the savings are not as big as they used to be. Most DVDs are formatted for Zone 1 only (Australia is Zone 4) but you can buy multi-zone DVD players here in Australia fairly cheaply and these will play disks from all zones.

Have a great trip - and be prepared to buy an extra bag to bring home all your bargains!

 

[JohnPhelan]

Oh, and go to Macy's on 34th Street (Herald Square) and go to the Visitors Center on one of the upstairs floors and show them your passport. As an overseas visitor, Macy's will give you a card that gives you 10% off all purchases in any Macy's department store anywhere in the US!

 

[drron]

I have commented on shopping in my recent TR here-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....hotos/drron-rambles-around-the-usa-25846.html
Dallas is on page 2 but the tr is interspersed with shopping hints.I will get mrsdrron to comment.
In NYC there are plenty of shopping bargains-mrsdrron says Century 21 is much too messy and the bargains can be just as good elsewhere in NYC.They have Filene's basement,Daffys and Loehmans that are discount chains.
If you are really into books then the Strand bookstore just off Union Square is fantastic-if travelling with a significant other direct them to Filenes and DSW on union sqare then trot down to the Strand and set a time to meet at Max Brenners for a delicious hot chocolate.
Strand Bookstore: Home of 18 miles of New, Used, Rare and Out of Print Books
On the other side of Union square is a large Barnes and noble.I have switched to Borders because they have a free rewards system that will give you discounts on many sales and they regularly send email coupons for greater savings-
Borders Rewards - Borders - Books, Music and Movies
Their better program costrs $20 a yeare,Barnes and Noble $25.
Well thats a start.

 

[dcm]

+1 for the Strand Bookstore. Amazing collection of books old and new with some great bargains. Well worth getting lost in for a morning or longer!

 

[mole]

NYC is my favourite shopping destination, I am a great fan of Century21, yes you have to be prepared to spend time to look but it has much higher end products than many of the other off sellers especially handbags. Union Square is a good area for a look as there is a large Filenes Basement and a Designer Shoe Warehouse in one building and just up the road a Nordstrom Rack (Nordstroms outlet store), if you are after discount shampoo's/conditioners (I also stock up on Joico/KMS etc for a fraction of the price) there is a Ricky's nearby. ToysrUs and Babiesrus are nearby if you are shopping for kids.

I also really like the Burlington Coat Factory, which does indeed have a huge selection of coats but sells all other types of clothing, shoes, and accessories (designer)etc at extremely discounted prices, there is one on West 23rd and 6th. Loehmanns is also worth a look and I also discovered Syms a couple of months ago (54th & Park Ave) which also had quite a few bargains.

Macy's always has some kind of sale and definetly pick up your discount card, I use it a lot. Both the outlets Woodbury Common (biggest & best) and Jersey Gardens are very good but if your time is limited you will not have any problem whatsoever finding bargains in Manhattan.

 

[Febs]

I'm OWR on a LONE4 so have the additional baggage (64kgs).

Not necessarily unfortunately. The extra allowance is a QF benefit, not a OneWorld benefit, which means you'll be fine until you need to check in a bag with AA. I've seen them be strict on this, and I've seen them let it slide...up to the individual check-in agent unfortunately.

Cheers,
- Febs.

PS: Woodbury Commons and Century 21 are a must, without a doubt.

 

[drron]

Not necessarily unfortunately. The extra allowance is a QF benefit, not a OneWorld benefit, which means you'll be fine until you need to check in a bag with AA. I've seen them be strict on this, and I've seen them let it slide...up to the individual check-in agent unfortunately.

Cheers,
- Febs.

PS: Woodbury Commons and Century 21 are a must, without a doubt.

The agents that are strict are the ones that are wrong-you are allowed 2 bags-this is from aa.com and the baggage allowance from or through Asia which most Aussie LONES would do-

One bag carry-on: No charge
Two bags checked: No charge
One Personal Item: No Charge.
Maximum number of 10 checked bags allowed per passenger.
Attention First and Business Class Customers
We are pleased to offer customers in First and Business Class the ability to check three bags at no charge.
45 in/114 cm (carry-on)
62 in/157 cm (checked)
50 lbs/23 kgs (checked)

 

[parsonstrish]

enjoy your shopping happy dude, i've been on my trip since 15/11 in usa/canada.
arrived late 15/11 at jfk, bought second suitcase at small tangers outlet in lancaster county 16/11. think it speaks for itself abt. cheaper shopping here.

8 days into trip and running out of room in luggage,

 

[dfcatch]

The agents that are strict are the ones that are wrong-you are allowed 2 bags-this is from aa.com and the baggage allowance from or through Asia which most Aussie LONES would do-

2 bags @ 23kg each plus carry on plus personal item as drron says b

 

[blueflamenco]

For books try Borders, Walmart & Target. The Borders rewards program is a must, they send out 40% off an item coupons out all the time. I used to stock up like crazy in the US but since finding www.bookdepository.co.uk I don't so much anymore. Free shipping worldwide and they have a range of titles including the British stuff I thought was hard to find in the US.

DVD's try Best Buy, Walmart, Target.

Clothes... Know what you want! If you don't know what you want you will get lost in the likes of Century 21. How long do you have in NYC? I wouldn't be so fast to advise you to go out to Woodbury. There is already so much shopping to be done in NYC.

Check out the store listing on the Premium Outlets website. It will take up almost an entire day if you don't have your own car and it costs at least $40 for a return bus or train ticket. There is a selection of high end brands that you won't find at other outlets but if you aren't in the market for any of it, it might be a waste of your time. They certainly are not my favourite outlets and they receive so much more traffic than others in the US. There is also a Premium Outlet centre in Allen TX which isn't far from Dallas if your friend can take you.

I would also recommend visiting Nordstrom Rack. There is one in Dallas and one in Union Square. They tend to be more organized and less overwhelming than the other discount stores and have nice things.

Have a fun trip!

 

[drron]

I agree that best to shop in NYC itself rather than go to Woodbury commons unless you have a lot of time there-then hire a car-the Hudson valley is worth visiting anyway.
In Dallas Grapevine mills is closer to DFW and bigger than the Allen outlets.there is also a Nordstrom rack in Grapevine.Plus not far to the AA museum-all listed in my TR.