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There is no shortage of places to shop in and around Kennesaw. The best way to find an item or service you need is to ask a friend or the Coordinator of International Student Retention Services. The Yellow Pages of your telephone directory lists items by category. The White Pages list items by their proper, specific names. By calling on the telephone and asking questions first, you can save a great deal of time and energy. You can also telephone to different stores to compare prices.
In
most stores, you serve yourself. You choose what you want and take it to a cashier
at a register, and then pay for the item by cash, check, or credit card. If
the shopper needs help in making selections, you can ask a sales clerk for assistance.
Before you go shopping, there are some things you should understand about the commerce system in the United States.
| PRICES
In most stores prices are fixed. One cannot bargain for a lower price. The advertised price does not include taxes. Newspapers advertise sales. A sale is when merchandise is sold at a reduced price. Newspapers also have coupons, which allow you to purchase an item at a reduced price. |
SALES
TAX
Whatever you buy will have sales tax added to the cost of the item. Sales tax is not included on the marked price or price tag. The sales tax, which is subject to change, is 4%, 5%, 6%, or 7% of the purchase price depending on the county and state. |
PAYMENT
Cash is easiest, but it is unwise to carry large amounts of cash. Using checks is also convenient. If you plan to pay by check, most stores require that you show them picture identification such as a driver's license or passport and sometimes a second form of identification (I.D.) such as a major credit card. Merchants are not legally required to accept personal checks. |
RECEIPTS Whenever you buy something ask for a receipt. A receipt proves that you have purchased an item on a particular day in a particular store. If an item is damaged or unsatisfactory, the customer, within a set time frame, can return it to the store if he/she has kept the receipt. Always note a store's return/exchange policy. It varies from store to store. |
BARGAIN HUNTING
There are many ways to save money and reduce costs. "Discounts," "sales," and "coupons" are key terms to know. You can buy out of season items, such as an air conditioner in February or a wool coat in August. You can buy at warehouses, factories and store outlets that supply smaller retail stores. You can go to thrift stores, discount stores like Big Lots, MacFrugals, and flea markets that sell used or slightly old items. Bakery thrifts sell day-old bread or cakes at half the usual cost. It is also usually much less expense to buy in bulk (in larger quantities). For example: a ten-pound bag of rice will cost less per pound than if you keep buying one-pound bags.
| GARAGE
AND YARD SALES
Families and individuals will sell used clothes, cars, furniture, and other household items at what is called a garage or yard sale. You can bargain with them and there is no sales tax. Garage sales are great places to find bargains. You can find listings of garage sales in the Saturday morning issue of the Atlanta Journal/Atlanta Constitution, under the classifieds. Go to garage sales early in the morning before all the good stuff is gone. Street vendors are different. Avoid buying expensive items from street vendors. Be especially careful buying if you feel pressured into making a quick decision. |
MEMBERSHIP STORES | OUTLET MALLS |
OTHER PLACES TO SHOP
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SHOPPING CENTERS Shopping Centers usually have one or two large stores surrounded by several small stores. If there is a grocery store in a shopping center within walking distance of your home, then food shopping will be easy and you may not need a car. |
SHOPPING MALLS Shopping malls are large enclosed areas with many stores. Many people enjoy shopping at malls on the weekends. Below is a list of some of the malls in the Atlanta area. Most shopping malls do not include grocery stores.
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GROCERY STORES You can purchase a wide variety of foods and other household items at grocery stores. You can buy fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables, canned and dry goods, grains and cereals, frozen foods, and much more. Some grocery stores are open 24 hours a day. A few of the larger grocery chain ("Chain" means the store has several locations) stores in the Atlanta area include: Kroger,
Publix, Winn Dixie
You are advised to never go to a grocery store hungry: you will buy more and spend over your budget. |
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| FURNITURE
STORES If you need furniture you can buy or lease it. Buying previously rented furniture is an option. Read the contract before signing anything. If you have questions see the Coordinator of International Student Retention Services. You can get a complete listing of places to purchase or rent furniture in the Yellow Pages under "Furniture."
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DRUG STORES Drug stores specialize in over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin, cold and flu medicines, pain relievers, toiletries, and cosmetics, which do not require a doctors prescription.
Prescription drugs can only be bought with a doctor's written order. Drug stores offer many of the same non-food items which can be found in a grocery store.
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FARMERS MARKET Farmers Markets offer a variety of fresh foods. There are many local markets.
Harry's Farmers Market offers perhaps the widest variety of international foods available in one location. To find a Harry's Farmers Market nearest location, call (770)578-4400. |
SHOPLIFTING
When shopping, never put merchandise into one's pocket or purse without first paying for it. You may be accused of stealing or shoplifting. Many stores have electronic devices and cameras to help them catch shoplifters. This is a criminal offense, which can result in imprisonment.
RECYCLING
Keeping Kennesaw and surrounding communities clean is everyone's responsibility, and the city wants to help you recycle. Most Atlanta communities are participating in recycling by providing services to collect glass, cans, aluminum, and newspapers. These are collected separately from the rest of your household waste. You can get a guide to recycling programs by calling the Atlanta Regional Commission (404)364-2502. One of the largest recycling sites is located at the Dekalb Farmers Market.
CLOTHING
In clothing stores you can "try on" the clothes to see if they fit. The place where you try on clothes is called a "fitting room." Clothing stores, in particular, vary in the prices they charge for the same or similar items. It is very important to "shop around" and compare prices and quality.
WOMEN'S SIZES: Women's clothing is generally divided into two categories: "misses" sizes which are even numbers 8' 10' 12' 14' 16' 18' etc., and "junior" or "junior miss" sizes which are odd numbers. Clothing may also be sized XS (Extra Small), and S(Small). These are made slightly smaller and shorter. "Petite" sizes are designed for short women; both misses and junior sizes will sometimes be marked "Petite." Women's sizes also come in M(Medium 10-12), L(Large 14-16), XL(Extra Large 18 and up).
MEN'S SIZES: Men's clothing for suits is usually determined by chest measurement; for pants by waist, and leg length measurement; shirt sizes by neck and shoulder to wrist length measurement. Most men's sweaters are marked Small(S), Medium(M), Large(L), and Extra Large(XL).
Remember, when you take your clothes to the laundromat, don't leave them unattended. Someone could take them.
|
Japanese |
5 |
7 |
9 |
11 |
13 |
15 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
|
American |
6 |
8 |
10(M) |
12(M) |
14(L) |
16(L) |
18 |
20 |
22 |
|
British |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
|
Continental |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
|
Japanese |
S |
|
M |
|
L |
|
LL |
|
American |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
|
British |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
|
Continental |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
|
Japanese |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
41 |
42 |
|
American |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
15.5 |
16 |
16.5 |
17 |
|
British |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
15.5 |
16 |
16.5 |
17 |
|
Continental |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
41 |
42 |
|
Japanese |
23 |
23.5 |
24 |
24.5 |
25 |
25.5 |
26 |
|
American |
6 |
6.5 |
7 |
7.5 |
8 |
8.5 |
9 |
|
British |
4.5 |
5 |
5.5 |
6 |
6.5 |
7 |
7.5 |
|
Continental |
36 |
37 |
38 |
38 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
|
Japanese |
24.5 |
|
26 |
|
27.5 |
28 |
29 |
|
American |
5.5 |
6.5 |
7.5 |
8.5 |
9.5 |
10.5 |
11.5 |
|
British |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
|
Continental |
39 |
40 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
44 |
45 |
|
DID YOU KNOW. . . . . . Americans spend more than 125 billion dollars a year on tennis shoes? . . . Kilts originated in France, not Scotland? . . . Before King George IV of England ordered boots made to fit each foot, shoes were designed to be worn on either foot? |
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