10 Everyday American Shops Brits NEED to Visit
About five million Brits visit the USA every year. They go to see the view from the Empire State Building, to experience Disneyland under the Florida sun. They go to see what the White House looks like up close (small by all accounts), to do road trips in huge cars, for miles of road, for mountains and beaches and canyons.
Of course there’s the world-renowned shopping. The little brown bags of Bloomingdales, breakfast at Tiffany’s and mooching around Macy’s. But, having lived in America now for a year, I think a little shopping safari around some of the more everyday shops could be just as interesting. If you’re coming stateside this year, check some of these out:
- Target
The closest UK retailer to Target I can think of is BHS (was). Target is however, nothing like BHS was really. As a Brit I find it hard to describe. As a person living in America, I know that whatever I might want for most domestic purposes can be bought here. I also know it messes with your head in a way that can only suggest very high level psychological profiling has been done on shopper behavior. I have never spent less than $100 there, even if all I went in for was a birthday card. It covers every category of “thing”. Each category is neither too small to not have what you need, nor too big to overwhelm you into not shopping it. Target is witchcraft. Try it – with at least 100 bucks.
- Bath & Bodyworks
What is not to love about things for a bath, (or a body – and if it works, well my cup floweth over)! This is a shop that embodies that generic Brit term for female Christmas presents, commonly known as “smellies”. The product ranges are named enticingly, things like Beach, Best Day Ever and Waikiki Beach Coconut. The candles smell beautiful and have shiny lids. They’ve got bath bombs! And hand washes in pumps and room sprays! Look, it’s put me in a lusty trance and I’m not even shopping there right now.
Justice
This store can best be summed up in the following 3 words: Sequins, unicorns and Rainbows. Did I have you at sequins? If you have a daughter, or any young female in your life between the ages of 6 and 14, the words natural habitat do not do Justice justice.
- Barnes & Noble
I think in the grand scheme of things, a B&N is not dissimilar to our Waterstones. If you love bookshops though, this is worth a visit purely for the books you can find there. American books have a swagger about them, an element of the over promise that is ridiculously alluring. Big statements of what will almost certainly happen if you read this book; BE AWESOME in 3 days! Live your dreams PAIN FREE! Cupcake Therapy! I can heal your Aura! Buy one – try it. What have you got to lose?
- Dicks Sporting Goods
One thing I’ve come to realize, is, despite a global comfort in the active wear arena, American’s do sporty attire the best. A half hour in Dicks will teach you exactly how to do it. You’ll find clothes to do sport in, but you will find more clothes to support sport in, clothes to think about sport in, even pyjamas to dream about sport in. You will also find balls, lots of balls.
- Hobby Lobby (or Michaels)
I’ve always been one of those people who find crafts intimidating. Like with recipes, isn’t there always something in craft guides that you neither have nor understand? PVA glue? OK, I’ve got a Pritt Stick? OK, so Hobby lobby might sound like a small reception area containing some books on trainspotting and a stamp album. BUT NO! It isn’t like that. It is like a planet with its own craft eco-system. You may go in looking for PVA glue but you will exit with the potential to create everything Blue Peter ever showed you. You will also probably have a motivational slogan plaque for your wall and a seasonal Pez candy dispenser for no real reason at all.
Pottery Barn
If you are not rich and do have to furnish a home, do not go to Pottery Barn yet. If you are not rich but are feeling a bit flush and want some nice slippers and a candle, come on in! (If you are rich, come in, buy your autumn home furnishings, four weeks has passed, the late summer theme was so last week). Pottery Barn is the kind of place a British person would love if they had ever painted anything in a pot from Farrow and Ball. It’s interior design for every season. I think there might actually be people out there who reframe their photos into tartan frames for Christmas. There’s not a lot of pottery though, so don’t be fooled.
- Kroger
I found it took six months to learn how to grocery shop in America. The average Kroger store makes the average British Tesco look like a railway kiosk. However, if you are just passing through and have no immediate need to feed people, just go in. Wander around, and marvel at the many, many ways you can procure macaroni cheese.
- LL Bean
LL Bean is an outdoorsy shop, I think mostly for people who own boats and a ski lodge somewhere. It does, however do the most amazing monogrammed tote bags, which are perfect for not skiing, not sailing, not climbing up mountains and actually shopping.
- Pier 1 Imports
This store is cushions and candles really, but it appears in the Blues Brothers and for that reason alone you should go there.
