<p>So I have a question for all of you who have been through the college shopping process. Did those of you who went shopping in the first couple of weeks of August find that stores were sold out already? Or did they still have plenty left?</p>
<p>I'm trying to decide whether or not I need to start shopping now.</p>
<p>Start shopping as you see stuff on sale. For instance, this week at Target, the college bedding is on sale (twin xl comforters and comforter sets). JCPenny is also currently having a sale (check online). TJMAXX has a lot of dorm stuff in stock right now and if shopping in a store like this, you have to buy items as you see them in stock. Once the stock is gone, that’s it.</p>
<p>Don’t overbuy. Get a mattress pad, 2 sets of sheets maximum, a comforter, pillow, maybe a foam mattress topper, a desk light (non halogen), some hangers, and a laundry bag. Seriously consider bringing a fan (it always seems to be searing hot during the first week or so of college). </p>
<p>^this list is a good starting point.</p>
<p>Yeah, my issue is just that I’m not sure I’ll be able to go shopping for a while. I want to be sure stores don’t sell out! From your experience, were they sold out by mid-August?</p>
<p>Have you considered buying stuff online if you can’t get to the stores right now? </p>
<p>You’ll probably be OK buying stuff in the middle of August. It’s just that you may not have as big of a selection of styles/colors.</p>
<p>Things like popular comforter sets, tower fans, and cheap dinnerware packages sell out fast. Other products, like shower caddies, sheets, school supplies, storage supplies (bins, drawers, etc) are usually okay to buy nearer to move-in.</p>
<p>You should definitely look online because you can get some really good deals and save yourself time.</p>
<p>So it should be okay (in terms of selection in store) if I wait a week or two, but don’t wait much more than that?</p>
<p>I’ll consider looking online, thanks Oz.</p>
<p>The stores near your college (like the big Walmart 3 miles away) will probably be sold out of stuff like shower caddies, etc. Do the shopping at home if possible.</p>
<p>I’m an international who’s decided not to do any shopping until I get to the US in mid-September (I’m on the quarter system). Will stuff be restocked then?</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ll do it at home, grapejuice, but I may not be able to do it for a few weeks. I hope they aren’t sold out by then!</p>
<p>I went shopping like the week before I moved into college. I think I remember doing almost all of my shopping at Target and they still had things in stock. Maybe they didn’t have one or two things, but otherwise I found my necessities in the style I wanted.</p>
<p>But the earlier you shop, the better!</p>
<p>
Mid September is pushing it. Most stores don’t restock on college items until the following summer because few people are interested in Twin XL sheets during the year.</p>
<p>“Mid September is pushing it. Most stores don’t restock on college items until the following summer because few people are interested in Twin XL sheets during the year.”</p>
<p>Oh dear… well I’m in the same situation as bluebubbles and I really hope the stores aren’t sold out when I reach because nowhere in my COUNTRY are twin XL sheets sold. I literally can’t get any until I go to the US. I like to hope that the stores nearby know that there will be an influx of students mid-September and will restock for that rush?</p>
<p>I don’t know. The stores I’ve been to (some a week before school, the week during school, etc) always had stuff in stock. Sometimes the selections were a bit narrowed, but I’ve always been able to find what I needed at a decent price…</p>
<p>I started my shopping towards the end of July. Buy early if you can especially for computers because companies like Dell and others get so bombarded with orders about this time that you might not get your laptop or what you need on time.</p>
<p>lot of the comforters that I wanted already sold out weeks ago and now i’m stuck choosing between ones i don’t exacly love :/</p>
<p>+1 for the Internetz. Order now, ship later = no frantic shopping with the crazies.</p>
<p>LOL, i just spent the last 3 days doing my dorm shopping. I used walmart most of the time (i have 3 walmarts within a 5 mile radius of my house), and found not all of them carried the same thing. But i did see alot of sheets, and a few bedding stuff. They, did not however, have any mattres covers or egg crates in stock because they never recived them. So i had to go to BB&B for that.</p>
<p>you know. i don’t really think it’s a huge deal if you don’t get XL twin b/c i just got twin sheets and they fit when i tried them on the dorm beds. then again, i’m not so picky about that stuff.</p>
<p>If you order online from Bed Bath & Beyond, they can send your stuff to a BB&B store near your college. You can pick it up when you get to school.</p>