The holidays are just around the corner as we say “goodbye” to October and “hello” to November. This can only mean two things: Firstly, it’s time to break out the hot cocoa and fuzzy blankets, and secondly, it’s now completely socially acceptable to browse and window shop to your heart’s content in the name of potential gift-giving.
The gift-giving season has most of the main retail stores battling for consumers’ attention through any means necessary, from the sappy family-centered ads we’ve probably all seen to throwing a huge Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsored by Macy’s and your favorite brands.
Holiday shopping can be overwhelming when you get sucked into the spectacle. Retail shops and shopping can be navigated fairly easily if you know who has the best of whatever you’re looking for. Take it from a girl who’s made bargain shopping retail both a personality trait and a hobby; I got your back. Let me help you help yourself this consumer season by telling you my secrets to navigating retail and see who, in my opinion, has the best of the best at the most affordable prices.
Clothing
Going into this process, you should be aware that most affordable retail stores on the cheaper side are byproducts of the fast fashion industry and aren’t made with sustainability in mind. It’s important to understand this system and not fall prey to it. That’s why even when shopping at more fast fashion-forward stores, I make it essential to look past current trends and focus on finding quality pieces to become staples of a wardrobe.
That being said, the place to buy cheap clothing and typically of good quality is Marshalls. Marshalls has a constant rotating availability of limited types of products, which means that almost every day, you could walk in and shop a brand-new selection of inventory. This limited number of individual items allows for a constant rotation of trends and what you see on the shop floor. From my experience, they have a good selection of tops, bottoms, and exercise clothing that will hold up well over time if you treat it right.
If you’re looking to represent your favorite team, college, or otherwise, T.J.Maxx is the place to go. T.J.Maxx always has a pretty wide selection of NFL, MLB, and college teams. This is where I find all of my official, affordable FSU merch. From cute water bottles to yoga mats with your team’s logo, T.J.Maxx has sports merch for everyone.
Shoes
From my experience, Burlington has the widest selection of high-quality shoes for the best price. Most shoes in retail stores fit into three categories: generic sneakers, strappy heels, or sandals. Burlington typically has the widest array of shoe types and sizes.
My favorite shoes from Burlington will forever be their boot selection. From Timberland work boots to Dr. Martens, they have a great selection to keep your feet warm and dry as we head into winter.
KNick-KNacks
HomeGoods is the place to go if you want cute decor for any holiday or if you feel like redecorating that day. I can safely say that at least 50 percent of all the decor in my dorm and bedroom back home are things I’ve acquired from numerous shopping trips to HomeGoods.
HomeGoods has an amazing selection of home decor and trinkets just for fun, which makes them the perfect spot to generate or support an aesthetic. They have items that could fit anywhere from Disney adult to Grecian to an Ultra-fem girly style. With low prices for cute items, it’s the perfect place to explore new styles and update your space. The only problem is that most of the time you’ll leave with more than just the one thing you wanted to buy, but that’s the way of HomeGoods.
I’m a firm believer that Marshalls has the best pet selection of any retail store. These sections are always located towards the back of the stores, but if you have a dog or cat, it’s a definite must-check, in my opinion.
They typically always have a sale happening, and you can get great deals. Their clearance toy section has perfectly fine and adorable toys marked down ridiculously low, normally around $3 or so. They also have a fairly wide selection of pet beds, treats, and pet wet wipes. If you look around this section, you can always manage to find something you need marked extremely below typical retail prices.
Retail shopping is a great alternative to getting high-quality goods in person rather than ordering from Amazon this holiday season. These stores all have a fairly consistent influx of needed items for sale. The key to getting the best prices on the cutest items is checking in consistently because flash sales and markdowns happen all the time.
Remember, the holidays are all about spending time with loved ones and remembering what truly matters. Take the stress off yourself and your wallet this year by checking out these stores!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!