Love Saks (their shoe dept. is to die for) and the two boutique women’s clothing store in the really nice plaza near me. Lululemon for athletic wear. I like Marshall’s and Home Goods when I’m not in the mood to spend a lot of money but need a shopping fix.
Hate most dept. stores (except Saks.) Not a fan of outlets either, but I used to shop for my kid at the J Crew outlet.
I don’t get Kohl’s. We went once and I couldn’t get out fast enough. Everything seemed cheaply made to me.
I go to 5 different markets to food shop (Walmart, local chain, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and the local food co-op.) I buy different things at each store. I also shop at a fantastic local cheese shop, an Italian specialty market and an Olive Oil shop. For fruits/veggies in the summer & fall I go to a local farm’s store.
Hate to shop but in a pinch:
I love REI (shoes! and sportswear), Sprouts, Whole Foods, Nordstoms Rack (shoes and purses)
Hate:Walmart and Home Goods … I thinks it’s different elsewhere, but our Home Goods in So Cal is full of bad quality furniture, flashy glassware and “just about to expire” no name consumables. It was actually much better when they opened a few years back.
My sister loves to buy me gifts from there and I don’t know how to tell her tactfully to STOP.
Grocery shopping: Love Trader Joe’s and Fairway. Wish we had Wegman’s here. Don’t usually go out of my way to go Whole Foods. Local Long Island King Kullen is pretty good also.
Costco-keep a running list of household items and go when enough things on the list to justify. For the most part do not shop for food there other than eggs for Passover when you need a large quantity.
Target- fun but no reason to go out of my way to go there.
Clothes: Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Lord & Taylor are my go-to stores. Sometimes Ann Taylor Loft. Will look for shoes and some accessory stuff in Macy’s but only the main store in Herald Square. I haven’t been to a mall in a very long time but the Macy’s in the mall is very disorganized and a big mess. Will sometimes go to Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. Have ordered shoes frequently from Zappo’s and from Nordstrom.com.
Order some stuff from Amazon but trying to not shop there as unhappy with the Hachette author issue. Do like Barnes & Noble Union Square.
I love IKEA but it’s very controlling. Try to enter the exit doors so you can just get to the Swedish food market area (and stock up on those excellent frozen crepe/pancakes). Half the time you can’t get in unless someone is coming out. Do I really have to walk 2 miles through the showroom to get my pancakes?
They always have a semi-secret underground parking level and there too, it is very controlling. Where they say “enter”, the elevator or escalator will only go up, and vice versa. The stairs might be far away. They don’t want you to come in for a quick trip, the fools!
Also, there used to be more shortcuts in the marketplace area. You could cut through a doorway and head straight into the warehouse. What if I only need flowerpots? Do I have to walk past all those rugs and curtains?
Yes, I bought good quality clothes at Gymboree and Gap Kids when our kids were young. I was sad when neither kid fit the clothes there. The sales really brought the prices down!
Loved Gymboree. The stretchy thick receiving blankets to match the cute outfits were my favorite. The teeny little beanie caps, while adorable, popped right off my kids’ heads immediately. Darn big headed kids
Also love REI. I walk in, the tents are up front, and I get stars in my eyes. (Don’t need a tent, have a good one.) I can wander endlessly. My kids get so annoyed.
I love some local bra shops. An indulgence.
I no longer have much enthusiasm for…LL Bean. The clothing just doesn’t seem special or well made. Other than that, I’m an opportunity shopper. And, find most of my clothing opportunities at Nordstrom. The problem with them, though, is that the quality and range depends on the area. Mine’s a good store, not a great one.
Btw, I never use the auto checkout. Like to think we can keep some more folks employed.
Favorite grocery stores: Wegmans (don’t have around here, unfortunately) Costco, and Whole Foods (not within 25 minutes of home) - If we had a Wegmans, I could do without a WF, but we don’t have either - our local grocery chain choices suck, so I hit up some other more local/regional grocery stores, such as Sunset Foods and Marianos that aren’t as convenient when I can.
Favorite apparel/jewelry: If I have an occasion coming up, Nordstrom is my best bet (appreciate their free hemming); Athleta, Fresh Produce, Soma, James Avery (when I’m in Texas visiting relatives) and occasionally White House/Black Market. If Boden ever opened a storefront here, I’d be in trouble!
Favorite household items: Container Store (love it), Room and Board, Crate and Barrel, Pine Cone Hill (catalog)
Stores which I haven’t given up on, but buy from less often - Target, Banana Republic, REI
Pretty much avoid at all costs - Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart, Sears, JC Penneys, Hobby Lobby, IKEA
Dislike: Sam’s Club, WalMart, Kohl’s, JCP, Sears, any gas station
I was in a Macy’s this weekend and couldn’t believe that they had moved the dresses to another floor and it was so neat and organized. It looked beautiful. My friend and I were amazed. Then we realized we were in the Plus Sizes.
Target is where we buy our Butterball Thanksgiving turkeys–H insists on the brand and they usually have a sale where it’s marked down to $.99/pound, which is about 1/2 or less than anywhere else in town. That’s about our major purchase there. It is a fairly long drive (30-60 minutes–depending on traffic) from our home & we aren’t really fans.
