Shopping - International Students in Seattle - Resource Guide

Introduction

It can be difficult and time consuming for international students to figure out where to buy essentials the first time they come to Seattle. To take the pressure off, this page puts shopping information together as a guide, introducing the most well known local stores and widely used online shopping websites to newcomers of Seattle.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores in America are the same as supermarkets in many other countries. They sell food, beverages, daily necessities, etc. All the grocery stores listed below are supermarket chains and have branches in Seattle. Please use the store locator or finder on each of their websites to pinpoint the nearest store to your location.

99 Ranch Market
99 Ranch Market is a Chinese supermarket. If you are a Chinese and don't like American food, then 99 Ranch Market is your heaven. You can buy Chinese spices, rice, vegetables, fruit, moon cake, Zongzi, etc. from there. With 99 Ranch Market, you will feel you never left China because anything you want in China can be purchased there.
Costco
Costco is one of the largest membership warehouse club chains in the United States. You can buy almost anything at Costco. It is like Walmart, where you can buy huge quantities of goods on the cheap. But Costco is only open to its members, so you have to purchase a Costco membership card in order to shop there.
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer has the lowest prices in food compared to QFC, Safeway and Trader Joes's. Different than other grocery stores, it also sells electronics and shoes, clothes, furniture, etc. It is more like a department store + a grocery store.
QFC
QFC stands for Quality Food Center. The fruits and vegetables in QFC are very fresh. Due to the high quality, the price in QFC is relatively higher than other American supermarket chains. Fortunately, QFC has weekly promotions and customers can get lower prices on certain items during that time.
Safeway
Safeway is a bit smaller and has less variety in terms of food choices, but the prices in Safeway are lower than QFC on average.
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's has their own brand juices, dairy products, coffee and more. The cookies in Trader Joes's are great. The price in Trader Joe's is in the middle between QFC and Safeway.
Uwajimaya
Uwajimaya is grocery store that mainly sells Asian food—with an emphasis on Japanese. However, Korean, Chinese and Thai food are provided in the store as well. The prices at Uwajimaya can be a bit expensive. But if you are a student, Friday night shopping after 6pm will give you 10% off on all non-sale items.

Shopping Centers

Pike Place Market
Address: 1st and Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Pike Place Market is a public farmers market where you can buy home grown fruits, vegetables, and fresh floral bouquets from local farmers and locally made jewelry, clothing and gifts from regional artists. The prices are higher than grocery stores. Pike Place Market has been called "the soul of Seattle" and it is a good place to buy souvenir for your visit to Seattle. Be sure to see the famous fish mongers throwing fish to one another!
Westlake Center
Address: 400 Pine Street, Seattle, Washington 98101-1625

Westlake Center is a four-story, glass enclosed shopping center in Downtown Seattle. It has a combination of nationally well known retailers and a selective collection of local merchandise.
Pacific Place
Address: 600 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

If you're looking for a mall in the Seattle downtown area, this is the place for you! It not only has featured stores, but also has restaurants and a movie theater.
Goodwill South Lake Union
Address: 411 Westlake Ave N Seattle, WA 98109

Good will is a non-profit organization that accepts donations from people. They collect used stuff. If you want to save money and don't mind used stuff, Goodwill is a good place. They have a wide variety of items, from cooking utensils to furniture to clothing.

Goodwill also has an online shopping site:
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/listings/
University Village
Address: 2623 Northeast University Village Street, Seattle, WA 98105

University Village is an open-air shopping center which offers a unique formula of locally-owned boutiques and signature national retailers. U Village is a regional destination for home furnishings, popular fashions and unique gift items with a distinct collection of restaurants and eateries.
UW Chinese Student Association
If you are a international student from China, welcome to the UW Chinese Student Association forum. In this forum, students post ads on selling their old books, furniture, cellphones, etc. You can also find information such as housing, job opportunities, events for international students, etc. in the UWCSA forum.
Northgate Mall
Address: 401 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125-6036

Northgate Mall is a place where you can buy a wide variety of items including food, CDs, furniture, computers, clothing, shoes, and more. It has over 130 stores to help you find what you are looking for. Featured stores include Victorias Secret, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Macy’s, JCPenney, XXI Forever, Lane Bryant, Finish Line, Gymboree, Old Navy, etc. If you move to a new apartment and have multiple items to buy, Northgate Mall would be your one stop shop.
Seattle Premium Outlets
Address: 10600 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip, WA 98271

If you want to save money, Seattle premium outlets are a good option. The prices are more than 30% off the retail store price. You can find everything from fine leather to housewares, designer clothes and specialty items there. Even though it is a long trip to get there, it can be worth the time.

Online Shopping Websites

Online shopping caveat:

Always check customer reviews before you go online shopping, either reviews for the shopping site or for the seller and product. Online shopping is easy, just one click, but it has risks. Lots of scams and frauds take place online. To avoid that, type the the sites name and review in Google before placing an order, this way you can get more information about the online shop and the service they provide.

Amazon
Amazon is a website that sells just about everything and its retailers are from all of the world. If you miss something in your country, search for it in Amazon and put an order online. You frequently can get it in a week.

If you use Smile.Amazon, you can select a charity such as Cornish College to benefit from your purchase at Amazon!
Ebay
Ebay is an online shopping and auction website where you can bid for items directly from the sellers.

Be careful, however, as there is a chance of being scammed at eBay. Be careful and don't believe something that sounds too good to be true when you use this and other similar sites.
Half Price Books
Textbooks can be very expensive. To save money, you can buy a used book. Half Price Books website sells quality used books for a cheap and reasonable price.
Etsy
Etsy is an online shopping website focused on handmade or vintage items and supplies, as well as unique factory-manufactured items. These items cover a wide range, including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath and beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks, and toys. Many sellers also sell craft supplies such as beads, wire and jewelry-making tools.---Wiki
Champion Party
If you are a Performance Production student who wants to get inspiration with real costumes, visit this site. They sell costumes and accessories for children, adults and pets, as well as party supplies.
Display & Costume
Awesome site for costumes, supplies and silly things!!
Sears
Sears is a chain of department stores in the U.S. and has a store in Shoreline. If you find something interesting in the website but not sure it is suitable for you, you can go to their store and try it in person.
Zappos
Zappos is an online shop for shoes, clothing, home decorations, and accessories.
Best Buy
Best Buy is an electronic store. They sell products such as TVs, laptops, DVDs, tablets, and cameras. You can shop either online or in their physical store. It has a branch store in the Northgate Mall.
Dealmoon
Dealmoon.com is a shopping deal site where you can find the latest news about store discounts (usually 50%-90% off) on apparel, shoes, cosmetics, jewelry, handbags, home accessories, kitchen utensils, baby stuff, and more.

From:http://www.aboutus.org/DealMoon.com

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International Students in Seattle - Resource Guide: Shopping

Introduction

Grocery Stores

Shopping Centers

Online Shopping Websites