The Shop Cop - Jennifer Litwin

Do you have a college-bound child that you are doing some last-minute dorm room shopping for? The good shipping deals will expire soon, so you want to get out now to take advantage of the deals.

RETAIL TRENDS FOR COLLEGE SHOPPERS THIS YEAR DIFFERENT FROM LAST:

1. Free shipping offers, as opposed to monthly or weekly sales right now — actually, only a few sales right now—this is the peak season for stores and when they expect to do their biggest business:

• Positive: You’ll save hundreds of dollars in shipping
• Negative: You will have to wait 2 weeks or more to get your goods; you don’t have the time to wait—even with the big box retailers, or discount places, like Wal-mart and Target.  My advice, based on trial and error is to avoid driving to a store to pick up the shipped good, (Container Store) even if the shipping is free—will take too much time. They never seem to have your goods waiting for you when you arrive at your scheduled “time slot”.

2. Assembly required on most items:

• Positive: You’ll save money because you need to assemble
• Negative: Many of this year’s products are not easy to assemble. Also, dorm rules are getting stricter about nailing things into walls—they may fine you and it isn’t easy for college kids to repair walls when they leave.

THE LATEST TRENDS, HITS AND MISSES IN EVERYTHING FOR YOUR DORM ROOM

1. Bedding Sets: Best overall deals in decent quality bedding come in color-coordinated sets this season. Wal-mart has sets from $35-55. Some of their sets include 11 pieces for $55, including a carrying case that doubles as a hamper. If you like color-coordinated sets this is the way to go. Can’t beat the price. Quick-drying towels a must for space-saving, drying quickly and having fewer laundry loads.
2. Skip Decorative Boxes, ranging from $15-25 each; meant to also be used to carry your belongings to and from the car. Personally, I would skip the boxes. For no money you can go to your local grocery store to get big cardboard boxes or go through your garage, and then fill in with some inexpensive Glad or Rubbermaid containers with lids.
3. Functional Wall Accessories: Wall Functionality is key this year, as many of the newest wall and desk accessories provide function and storage.  Pottery Barn Teen is selling a wide variety of fun, colorful accessories.
4. Closets have space-saving rods and places to put sweaters, shoes, and accessories: Hottest trend is extension closet rods, with places for hanging accessories, shoes and sweaters.
5. Decorative, Functional Desks: Cool looking art objects that double have holders for paper, pens, supplies
6. Cooking Ware: Many dorms are no longer allowing microwaves—alternatives are easy plug-in hot pots, and pizza makers—let’s face it, late night studying means pizza in dorm rooms.

SHOPPING ALERT! —Many colleges are trying to save money on electricity –they are prohibiting microwaves and refrigerators for the first time, but are providing things like garbage cans that you don’t need to buy—check with your school ahead of time, and try to coordinate with your roommate to save some money and avoid duplicating and overdoing it.

Some of my favorite dorm room picks, including the latest trends in everything for your dorm room:

FROM BED, BATH & BEYOND:

For the Shower

Hot Pot

Handbag Storage Rack

Hanger Extension

FROM POTTERY BARN TEEN:

Wire magazine rack

Desk Accessories

Closet Storage for Sweaters

Wall Note Holder

FROM WAL-MART:

Pizza Maker

Basketball Hoop for Over the Door

11-piece Bedding Set

FROM THE CONTAINER STORE:

Double Hang Closet Rod

FROM POTTERY BARN:

Photo Rolodex Frame Cadre in 4×6″: $69

Do you ever just want to recycle your old, grimy pots and pans?  Maybe you don’t want to spend a lot of money on kitchen gear.  But a few years ago, an extensive report came out on the dangers of and cancer-causing ties to using non-stick frying pans.  At first, consumers were suspicious that the startling revelation about the cancer-causing possibility of our everyday frying pans may have been instigated by the industry’s goal to create a profit motive, forcing all Americans to purge their stock of frying pans.

GET RID OF YOUR OLD NON-STICK FRYING PANS?

Before you make any rash decisions, consider the facts: At high heat, which non-stick frying pans are prone to reacting to by getting even hotter, the coating on the non-stick frying pan breaks apart, causing toxic particles and cancer-causing gasses to be emitted–these gasses and particles can cause extreme illnesses, even thyroid disease, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a prominent nonprofit environmental research and advocacy organization, financed by the Rockefeller family, among other well-known families.  Teflon has been known to kill birds because of its toxicity.

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Let’s face it—we don’t all have lucrative college savings accounts.  If you can’t absorb the cost of going to a physical university right now, you may be looking at your online options for the best value.  Though online education may cost less than an a physical university or college you have to understand what you are getting for your money and how your degree will be perceived.

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Watch Twin Cities Live on ABC in Minneapolis where I talk about the best and worst in holiday gift returns this year. Many new return policies this year. Some stores are more lenient, while others are making their return policies more vague. If you need to make returns you won’t want to miss this show

This holiday season has been the first in years to have decent return policies across the board—well almost. If you’ve been wondering how long you have to return your holiday presents, policies have changed somewhat this year—more favorable to customers.

In an aggressive bid to win loyal shoppers, stores have pulled all the stops when it comes to returns this season.

BIGGEST TRENDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

1. Vague return policies—need to really read the policy carefully, and even then, you may be missing some of the facts (Ex: Target and Victoria’s Secret).
2. Returns at store/department manager’s discretion: this policy hasn’t been in place for more than a decade
3. Receipts not crucial in many stores (Target, Macy’s)
4. Extended time for returns; now 90-120 (Target- 90 days) days instead of 14-30, with the exception of electronics/games (14 days the norm, and restocking fees after that)
5. Stores are not locking into return policies—Policies are changing all the time—even after the holidays, allowing flexibility for the stores; a wait and see approach. Good and bad.
6. Tracking the number of returns—Wal-Mart, Target—could hurt your chances for a refund.

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