Rylee Salot anticipates browsing for groceries while posing outside Whole Foods. Salot found the store to be perfect for Pepperdine students searching for a local, organic market. Photos by Meghan Young
Retail therapy can only begin when someone knows where they’re headed.
There’s a whirlwind of opinions and decisions on where to shop — from finding essential groceries and basic clothing pieces to a unique item to add to your closet. Luckily, Pepperdine students seem to be experts on where to embark on a shopping spree.
Students said there are a few categories to cover when it comes to tracking down shopping gems. Navigating where the best and not-so-best places to shop starts with the essentials — where should a Pepperdine student go grocery shopping?
“My favorite place to go grocery shopping locally would be Whole Foods,” sophomore Rylee Salot said. “They have extremely fresh, organic and sustainable foods that are more nourishing than typical items I would find at Ralphs or Stater Bros.”
First-year Emmeline Ross said that Whole Foods is a reasonable option for something fresh, but the quality means a higher cost and there is an alternative nearby.
“I like to go to Ralphs [to grocery shop],” Emmeline Ross said. “You can find good food for great prices. It’s a lot cheaper than here on campus and cheaper than Whole Foods.”
While shopping at the Ralphs down the street, students see the bright blue and red Chevron sign above the station’s gas prices. However, the big question is whether it is better to stop by or look for better prices.
The app “GasBuddy” may help with finding the best deals around. Disclaimer: it may lead to an alternative route through the canyon or investment in a Costco card.
“Costco is in Topanga,” sophomore Georgia Ross said. “I typically try to get my gas there since it’s cheapest. [Also,] I like grocery shopping at Costco. I am able to purchase food in bulk, and therefore it’s cheaper in the long run.”
Speaking of essentials, look no further than the Country Mart down the street to provide those beautiful basics, as well as some trendy and funky aesthetics. Their local boutiques, such as Fred Segal and Vuori, lean on the pricier side, but there is hope when shopping on a budget.
“Price-wise, Brandy Melville’s not that expensive,” Emmeline Ross said. “I always find that PacSun has deals all the time, so that’s how I get the most deals. Urban Outfitters is expensive, but regardless, I find myself shopping there.”
If the price doesn’t seem right at these well-loved, local stores, students can search for that diamond in the rough at local, and not so local, thrift shops. Finding that perfect piece may take some extra time and effort, but what better way to spend time with friends than digging through rows of clothes.
“Honestly, friends and I typically go thrifting or vintage shopping,” Georgia Ross said. “Buffalo Exchange is usually a really good one. I have heard good things about Jet Rag, Wasteland and Decades. Jet Rag has $1 sales on Sunday, and every other day it’s fair priced.”
Finding that perfect piece may take a while and shopping online may be a way to cut the time in half from home, or the Pepperdine dorms.
“I typically shop online because I feel like the deals are better,” Salot said. “As for online shops, I typically go for Free People, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Skims. It’s nice shipping. It gets here faster because many shops are close by, and we are closer to LA where many warehouses are located.”
For all the athletes out there, shopping online may be the move to make when shopping for that perfect gym fit. First-year diver Alexandra Martin, attests to this.
“I would say my style is athleisure,” Martin said. “I always get stuff online from Gymshark. I feel like all the ones around here are expensive when it comes to athletic wear, so I normally like to shop online.”
Students also have their favorite go-to restaurants. There are a few noteworthy favorites in Malibu, Santa Monica and LA.
“I love Cafe Habana and Marmalade Cafe,” Emmeline Ross said. “I personally like to go to iHop at unreasonable hours of the night. There’s a 24-hour iHop through the hills. I also really like Malibu Farm Cafe.”
Malibu is a host to stores worthy of 5-star ratings, yet other students steer clear of some of the conventional chains.
“I avoid CVS pharmacy, Rite Aid and Walgreens because all of their products are extremely overpriced, [getting] up to double their retail cost,” Salot said.
In the spirit of sustainability, there are a few wise words to say about shopping til you drop.
“Try only to buy a clothing item if you love it,” Georgia Ross said. “I love the ideology behind having a minimal amount of clothes and rotating or donating when you don’t love something in your closet, although I don’t practice it enough.”
Trying to be sustainable, find the best prices, get good quality, shop local and shop small is a difficult road, but hopefully this guide provides a few tips and tricks to guide the way.
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Email Meghan Young: meghan.young@pepperdine.edu
