<p>Should people be worried about things running out at BBB/Target during the week of orientation, especially with 5 colleges in the area?</p>
<p>You can always order the BBB stuff in your town and then pick it up at the Amherst location.</p>
<p>A couple years ago when I helped my then freshman son get situated, I did not see any big shortages at Target. Heaps of mini-fridges and everything else you can think of.</p>
<p>However, you can do as nne718 says, and do your shopping at your local BB&B. Then you pick it up there. That way you don’t need to even wonder about availability of stuff. Certainly all “small stuff” – toiletries and the like will be in abundance at Target.</p>
<p>I agree with 'rentof2. We had no problem finding any last minute items at all. We had 98% of all dorm room stuff already waiting at BB&B, picked up a fridge at Walmart, a few supplies at Staples (or whatever the office supply place there is) along with toiletries/laundry supplies/munchies from various places. D ordered posters for her wall online. The only thing we couldn’t find was a small filing cabinet that could fit under her desk. There were some, but not in our price range.</p>
<p>We had problems finding a fridge, a few years back, but located one in a more distant town.</p>
<p>We pre-ordered at BBB before arriving (don’t have to pay until you actually pick up the merchandise). We actually found a lot of the items much cheaper at Target and ended up taking many of the pre-ordered items off our list and saved a lot of money. There are numerous colleges in the area, as you know so there will be lots of people shopping. First year students arrive ahead of other classes so you’ll have an advantage.</p>
<p>There are many shopping centers within 30 minutes of the area. If the one down the street from the school is sold out, try one of the several in other neighboring towns. Springfield, MA, a city of 150,000, is less than half an hour drive away depending on traffic. It is where Holyoke Mall is located, which has a huge number of stores including Target. If, however, you do not have a car, you can still take the free bus, although this will take longer, and you will want to bring a duffle bag if you want to buy a lot of things.</p>