Back to School

With September just around the corner thousands of kids, teens and college students are getting ready to head back to the classroom to hit the books. It’s time to say goodbye to sleeping-in and heading to the beach. Some students start shopping for back-to-school supplies as early as the beginning of August, and today there’s so much more to school supplies than just notebooks and pencils.

Boston is well-known for its numerous universities and colleges, so plenty of stores make stocking up easy and fun. College students moving into new dorms will need to furnish their space; and those spaces tend to be small. Luckily, the challenge is easily handled for those who shop at Boston based studentmarket.com

Oren Milgram, one of the store’s founders said the store caters to student needs. While it stocks everything needed to furnish a dorm room, it also has plenty of items to help personalize it. “We understand completely that students have a limited amount of space so we sell a lot of multi-functional items such as futon beds that serve as sofas during the day. We have storage cubes, bookshelves, under-the-bed storage containers and lockers. We also have plenty of chairs and desks. And, our furniture is very durable and will last long past freshman year,” Milgram said.

Though college students have a reputation for subsisting on junk food, the store sells items such as hot plates and microwave ovens that make healthy cooking in the dorm easy. Bedding is another big seller at studentmarket.com, as every student needs sheets and comforters. “We sell a ton of bedding, and we have a large selection. Kids want to be able to express their personality so we have designs from preppie to Goth. We also sell pillows and cozy slippers,” Milgram said.

Jaxx Bean Bag Chair - StudentMarket.com

One piece of furniture that’s consistently remained a big seller with the college group is bean bag chairs and Milgram said he has plenty to choose from. He also said that furniture and accessories bearing college or sports team names is always popular. Furniture, rugs, and other items adorned with logos for students who are proud of the college they attend or the Boston team they root for are abundant.

“We also have some recreational items for students with extra cash to spend including ping pong tables,” said Milgram.

At this time of year the store does big business supplying Boston students, but Milgram said people from all over the country buy items from the store website.

Boston has 15 schools that offer art programs and courses, and art students flock to Black Inc. at two locations on Beacon Hill and in Cambridge. At the beginning of the semester, when then teachers hand out the list of supplies kids will need for class, many head right to Black Inc. where they know they’ll be able to get everything they need.

Lisa Kunkel, store manager at the Beacon Hill location, said that every year at this time things really pick-up. “Fine-art students come in to buy art supplies including paint, paint brushes, canvas, pastels and charcoal. We also have plenty of supplies for drafting and graphic design including drafting tables, rulers, compasses and T squares,” Kunkel said.

The store also offers custom framing and many consumers come in with merit certificates, diplomas and other achievement items to be framed. Kunkel said the store has many regular customers and students can receive a 10% discount as preferred customers. September 21 the store will hold its annual Blick Madness event. The day long open house event is deigned to attract new customers and welcome back regulars. The store will offer sales, and there will be live music.

Greenward - Environment Friendly Products

Boston students concerned with buying environment-friendly products will love Greenward in Cambridge. The general store sells items that are recycled, biodegradable, organic, sustainable, natural and Green. Store owner Scott Walker said he’s always felt there was a need for a store that sells Green items and finally opened one in 2007. He’s delighted that so many people are jumping on the Green bandwagon by becoming more environmentally aware.

“We sell so many items that help people to live Green. We have a lot of bike products for those who’d rather ride a bike than drive. We also have reusable lunch bags that can be used hundreds of times, so less paper bags get thrown away. We have all types of food containers and we offer Liberty Bottle Works, these are aluminum bottles that have the map of the MBTA on them. If you’re new to town these can be very helpful,” Walker said.

Backpacks made from cotton or recycled plastic bottles, staple-less staplers and notebooks made from recycled paper are also popular items. In addition the store has plants, house-wares, jewelry and gift items and everything is Green. “I have a lot of environmentally aware parents who come in to buy items for younger kids for school. There is a need for Green,” said Walker.

Food is another thing that students purchase in large quantities. At Trader Joe’s, Eileen Smith said some of the biggest sellers are frozen meals including Mandarin orange chicken, tikka marsala chicken and frozen pizza. “Students also like that we sell healthy snacks like dried fruit and nuts. We also offer fresh salads daily and have several vegetarian and gluten free options,” Smith said.

She added that when mid-term rolls around the store sells a ton of chocolate covered espresso beans. The tasty treats have become a popular way for students to stay awake during study marathons.

For those who prefer a traditional burger and fries, BGood has seven locations around the city where burgers can be beef, veggie or turkey. Kamilla Siova at the Cambridge restaurant said “All of our food is hand-made and we have a lot of healthy food that tastes just as good as any other fast food place.”

A typical lunch which may consist of a burger, fries and a beverage will set students back $11 or $12, and they’ll come away with less guilt.

Finally, what student doesn’t live in jeans throughout the school year? Being comfortable makes it easier to pay attention, but finding a pair of jeans that fit properly has always been like searching for the Holy Grail, until now.

in-jean-ius - North End

At in-jean-ius in the North End, staff are all well-trained in helping match buyers with perfect fitting jeans. Alison Barnard, a Babson College Graduate studied and researched jeans for a long time before deciding to open her store. “Today buying jeans involves a combination of science and fashion. There are so many different new tech fabrics that there’s no reason not to be able to find a perfect fit,” she said.

Whether your body type is curvaceous, skinny, boyish, or has a long torso this store has the right fit. High waist, boot cut, flare, skinny and straight leg are all available here. In fact, Barnard said the store stocks over 20 different brands. There are plenty of classic styles as well as trendy designs including leopard print jeans and wax coated jeans that stretch and shine like leather. In addition the store sells tops, sweaters, tee shirts and jackets to complete your look. Shopping for your favorite back-to-school jeans has never been easier.

Trader Joes’
899 Boylston St. Boston
617 262 6505
www.traderjoes.com

Black Ink
101 Charles St. Boston
5 Brattle St. Cambridge
www.blackinkboston.squarespace.com

Greenward1764 Mass. Ave. Cambridge
617 395 1338
www.greenwardshop.com

In-jean-ius
441 Hanover St. Boston
617 523 5326
www.injeanius.com

B.Good
131 Dartmouth St. Boston
255 Washington St. Boston
24 Dunster St. Cambridge
137 Mass Ave. Boston
272 Newbury St. Boston
www.bgood.com