SHOPPING

Supermarkets
Shopping Centers
Discount/Outlet Stores
Payment Options

Shopping is a large part of American life. The shopping choices in the Argonne area are many. The nearest stores are north of the laboratory along 75th Street. Stores are located almost continuously for several miles from Kingery Highway on the east to Janes Avenue, west of Interstate 355. In addition there are many malls and clusters of stores further north along 63 rd Street and on Ogden Avenue. Store hours vary, but are usu­ally 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Large food stores remain open longer and several supermarkets are open 24 hours a day. The Newcomers Assistance Office has several pages of information available on local shopping with locations and directions.

An important thing to learn about shopping in America is that a wide range of prices can be charged for the same or comparable merchandise. This includes all available goods, but especially clothing, food, electronics, furniture and house wares. Many multi-page store and supermarket advertisements are included in the Sunday and Wednesday editions of Chicago newspapers. These itemize the many sale items being offered that week that are often well below the normal price. All stores regularly hold sales at which merchandise is sold at a lower price. If you have the option to wait, you can save considerable amounts of money as the item you require may be offered at a reduced price.

Stores usually allow you to return purchased merchandise if the item has not been used or damaged. You will have to give a reason for the return, such as it doesn't work, wrong size, color not right etc. Some stores, especially smaller ones, may have a time limit for returns. You must have the original purchase receipt to obtain a refund. Merchandise purchased at a "sale" price may not be returnable.

Supermarkets

The Chicago area is rich in ethnic diversity. Food stores offering the specialties of many nations can be found in the city and its surrounding communities. The area near Argonne has many stores specializing in Asian and South Asian products, as well as those from Mexico which reflects the population of many families of Chinese, Filipino, Indian and Hispanic heritage here.

The major supermarket chains in the Chicago area all carry a large selection, including many international foods. Most have fresh fish departments and full service pharmacies selling both prescription and non-prescription drugs. In addition, each Jewel, Dominick's, Cub and Meijer store has a large non-food section which carries cosmetics, toys, school and office supplies and household goods.

Shopping Centers

A shopping center is a collection of stores and shops offering a wide variety of products and services. Most small shopping centers have self-service laundromats, dry cleaners, barbers, and hairdressers. The large shopping center (or mall) sits in the middle of a gigantic parking lot and can cater to the needs of thousands of people at once. It features two to four large department stores plus many smaller shops and restaurants. There are several malls within a thirty minute drive of Argonne :

• Yorktown Center - at Highland & Butterfield Roads, Lombard
• Oakbrook Center - 22 nd Street & Kingery Highway , Oakbrook
• The Promenade at Bolingbrook , E Boughton Rd & Janes Ave , Bolingbrook
• Westfield Shoppingtown at Fox Valley - Route 59 & New York Ave , Aurora

Discount/Outlet Stores

Although the traditional department stores and smaller, individually owned stores may charge fixed prices, often the same items can be bought for less at discount stores. This is particularly true for electrical appliances, clothes, hardware, and house wares. Although these discount stores provide little in the way of personal service, they sell items at prices 20% or more less than those of conventional stores. Be careful when patronizing a discount store because some stores advertise "discounts" that may not be much of a savings and the merchandise may be of an inferior quality. Outlet stores offer merchandise from one company direct from the factory often at a reduced price. The closest outlet mall is Chicago Premium Outlets ( www.premiumoutlets.com ) on I-88 at Farnsworth Ave in Aurora.

Payment Options

You can pay for any item at a store with cash. As most Americans do not carry much cash with them the most common form of payment is with a credit card, debit card or check. Other options include:

Store Specific Charge Accounts : At some stores, you can arrange to make your purchases on credit by applying for a store credit card. The store will send you a bill or statement once a month. There is no charge for this service if you pay the total amount of the bill within 30 days; otherwise, customers are charged interest on the unpaid balance similar to other major credit cards such as MasterCard or VISA. Often you can save a certain percentage on all purchases using the special store charge card when opening the account and on special days throughout the year.

Lay-Away Buying : Some stores will hold an item for you until total payment has been made. You make arrangements with the store, according to their layaway policy, on how many payments must be made before total payment is completed so that you may take possession of the article. You do not pay interest on lay-away buying.

Installment Buying : This is a method of paying for an item over an extended period of time. Payments are made in equal monthly amounts; a service charge, interest on the unpaid balance, is added monthly to the bill. Installment buying can add as much as 21% additional cost per year to the item purchased, but it does allow you to have immediate possession. Be cautious with offers of "do not pay for 12 months" as there are often hidden costs in using such a service and severe penalties for a missing or late payment.

back to index