Tuesday, February 17, 1998
Poor little shoppers
LEISURE: Whether it’s clothes, shoes or just a little something
for fun, shopping can be dangerous for college students and their
insufficiently funded checkbooks
By Carol McKay
Daily Bruin Staff
Those tempting shoes at Bloomingdales are calling your name. The
devilish side in you is saying you deserve them. You’ve earned
them. You would look so good in them.
But your angelic side fights back, arguing that they probably
cost as much as a quarter’s worth of books, or maybe even a small
car in some countries.
Oh, the dilemma.
Shopping. Students love to do it, but hate what it does to them.
Despite empty pockets or even emptier checkbooks, many students
brave the malls looking to get the most from their money.
And according to most store managers, student shoppers are easy
to spot.
"Students are way more price conscious," said Chrystal Rhea, a
manager at The Limited at Westside Pavilion. With less money to
spend, they stick out in the crowd, performing shopping
paradoxes.
"They tend to buy more on impulse than other customers," Rhea
said, adding that students make up about 30 percent of The
Limited’s customers.
"But they also are more likely to visit more often during the
course of a week. They try it on, think about it, and come back
again. And then they end up buying it on the second or third
time."
Many students are loyal to merchants that aim to the younger
audience, such as The Limited, but others venture into more
sophisticated (and pricier) stores, such as BCBG Boutique.
Kristen Price, a manager at BCBG’s Westside Pavilion location
noted that students in her store tend to be choosier customers.
With only two sales each year, money-minded students must be more
selective.
"They’d never buy in bulk," Price said. "Our younger customers
buy one or two items at a time. Our older customers know what
they’re looking for, but the younger ones need more help."
Many students strategize in order to avoid in-store debates over
whether an item is affordable. Tamara Brown, for example, avoids
shopping malls most of the time, sticking to stores such as Ross or
Casual Plus.
"I only go to the mall for specialized things like bras and
underwear at Victoria’s Secret. Or if I have an extra 50 bucks to
throw away …" Brown said.
Other students plan a budget.
"I always keep a minimum amount in my checking account," said
Angela Chen, a third-year psychology and Japanese student. "I can’t
go under that amount, but everything above it is mine to do
whatever I want with."
For some students, however, maintaining a budget is
impossible.
"I end up running out of money by the end of eighth week," said
Brown, a second-year design student. "And then I call my mom and
cry and beg."
Despite a waning cash flow, most students feel they are able to
pinch and save until they can afford the items that top their list.
It may take time, but within reason, it’s possible. And many notice
a change in their spending habits over the years.
"My first year here, I went crazy," Chen said. "My parents gave
me a lot of spending money, and I spent three or four thousand
dollars just on shopping."
Chen said that since those first-year splurges, she has calmed
down. "It was a new sense of freedom. I could do whatever I wanted.
But then my parents found out, and things had to change."
Splurges at the mall often follow emotional events. "I get
frustrated when I get test scores back, and then I feel the need to
spend," Chen said. "But I’ve been trying to curb that ’cause it’s
bad."
Chen, who went shopping Monday morning with a friend, was
tempted by sales but resisted. Her friend, however wasn’t so
strong.
"It’s frustrating," said Melisa Tien, a second-year English
student, explaining the sale price of a purchase from The
Limited.
"The shirt was marked down from $49 to $20. It was a good deal,
but it makes you wonder. I mean, they still have to make a profit.
And if they’re still making a lot when it’s on sale for over half
off, that’s upsetting," Tien said.
Both Tien and Chen described shopping as "frustrating," but
neither can live without it. Their best bet, they said, is to look
for sales and be practical.
Even students that describe themselves as "practical shoppers",
however, stray from their will power sometimes.
"Those impulse things by the counter – the magazines and gum –
get me every time," Brown said.
Growing up outside of Los Angeles can create a shopping shock as
well. Brown said that when she came to Los Angeles, she discovered
that despite the high prices, the quality of shopping didn’t meet
the hype.
"I think it’s far too expensive and there is far too little
variety for the reputation L.A. has for great shopping," she
said.
photos by MICHAEL ROSS WACHT
A student shopper forks over cash to buy a pair of shoes at
Robinsons May at the Westside Pavilion. Shopping is one of the most
costly temptations for college students today.