Calling all shopaholics and bargain hunters! Your new favorite shopping location lies just 22 minutes from campus in Shelton, Conn. Retail 101 is a discount warehouse store that sells popular name-brand items for a steal. As someone who loves to shop but hates paying full price for anything, this place is my dream. Ever since it opened up in September of this year, I have seen so many TikToks on my feed of people raving about what great deals they found here. From clothes to furniture, this place truly has it all. This past Saturday, my curiosity got the best of me. I hopped in my car, picked up my friends and we were en route to Shelton.
Walking through the door to Retail 101 felt like stepping into another universe. The warehouse was massive with merchandise as far as the eye could see. Right when we walked in we were met with the kitchen section. This area was full of cups, mugs, plates and more. My roommates and I definitely do not need any more cups than we already have, but the temptation to purchase all of the adorable patterned glasses was strong.
Once we moved past the kitchen section we checked out the furniture. The entire right half of the store was dedicated to pieces like couches, mirrors, tables and cabinets. They had some of the coolest and most unique-looking furniture I have ever seen. My friends and I walked around in awe, and all agreed that when we move into our own post-grad apartments we are definitely hitting up Retail 101 to furnish it.
After scoping out the furniture, we geared up to do the real work: hunting in the clothing section. The clothes are split in half for a men’s side and a women’s side, but no matter which section you’re shopping in you have to be ready to do some digging. The racks were filled with countless items, each one different from the next. In addition to the many racks that lined the perimeter of the clothing section, there were bins assorted with various clothing to dig through as well. Each table and rack had signs to indicate the prices. For example, women’s tops were typically twelve to fifteen dollars, with bulkier items like sweatshirts being around twenty dollars. All of the clothes were from name brands, Free People being one of the most popular. As a huge Free People lover who can never actually afford their clothes, I was so excited to pull out their branded clothing for twelve dollars. What a steal!
While I was initially excited to dig around and see what clothes I could find, it quickly became overwhelming. As I was working my way through the racks and tables they seemed never-ending. Even when my bag was full of items to try on, I kept seeing more clothes that would catch my eye. It is truly impossible to go there and look through everything. As I kept getting lost in the racks I began to get overwhelmed. Not to mention that I had no service in the warehouse so I could not locate my friends. I decided to cut myself off from digging through the bins (for the betterment of both my mental and financial state) and try some things on instead.
While there were not many fitting rooms to accommodate an entire warehouse, the line moved surprisingly quickly. I was able to try on all my finds, weed out what I didn’t like, and show my friends what I was going to buy. I decided on a pair of Free People brown joggers which I thought would be perfect for my dance rehearsals, as well as everyday use. Originally $128, I snagged them for $15. I also bought a Free People flowy blue long-sleeve and an athletic black long-sleeve for $12 each. Although I could have spent an insane amount of money there, I limited myself to three items so that I wouldn’t get carried away.
Overall, I was extremely impressed with Retail 101. Next time I go I will definitely caffeinate up to prepare me for hours of digging through clothes. They had an extensive selection of both men’s and women’s clothing, and for us broke college kids this is truly an excellent place to shop. I am already looking forward to going back with my roommates!
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