Best Places for Back to School Shopping in Pullman, WA, Home of Washington State University
We recently lost the Pullman Goodwill, which used to be an excellent resource for lower-income students, since many of their clothes and accessories were donated by departing students and were name-brand items in good or like new condition. A bigger, better Goodwill is promised, but like the stores mentioned above, it’s slated to be in Moscow, so carless students will have to beg a ride or take the Wheatland Express, which buses people from Pullman to Moscow and back, for which the fall schedule follows:
Route # 1
(PLEASE NOTE: Last run only goes to WSU French Administration Building)
All times may vary due to weather & traffic conditions.
No Saturday/Sunday service. No service on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, also if both Universities are closed.
Bicycle racks may not be available on all buses. Pullman Departures
Stadium Way & Orchard Rd 7:41 am 8:52 am 9:52 am 10:52 am 11:52 am 12:52 pm 1:52 pm 2:52 pm 3:52 pm 4:52 pm 6:22 pm
Stadium Way & Valley Rd 7:42 am 8:53 am 9:53 am 10:53 am 11:53 am 12:53 pm 1:53 pm 2:53 pm 3:53 pm 4:53 pm 6:23 pm
Grand Ave Dissmores 7:45 am 8:55 am 9:55 am 10:55 am 11:55 am 12:55 pm 1:55 pm 2:55 pm 3:55 pm 4:55 pm 6:25 pm
Pullman City Hall Paradise St 7:50 am 8:59 am 9:59 am 10:59 am 11:59 am 12:59 pm 1:59 pm 2:59 pm 3:59 pm 4:59 pm 6:29 pm
WSU Bustad (Vet Sci Bldg) 9:05 am 10:05 am 11:05 am 12:05 pm 1:05 pm 2:05 pm 3:05 pm 4:05 pm 5:10 pm 6:30 pm
WSU French AD/Grimes Way 9:06 am 10:06 am 11:06 am 12:06 pm 1:06 pm 2:06 pm 3:06 pm 4:06 pm 5:12 pm 6:34 pm
Moscow Departures
Kibbie Dome Moscow Bound 4:19 pm 5:27 pm 6:50 pm
Wallace Complex 8:10 am 9:22 am 10:22 am 11:22 am 12:22 pm 1:22 pm 2:22 pm 3:22 pm 4:22 pm 5:29 pm 6:51 pm
6th & Line Forestry Bldg 8:12 am 9:23 am 10:23 am 11:23 am 12:23 pm 1:23 pm 2:23 pm 3:23 pm 4:23 pm 5:30 pm 6:52 pm
Railroad St. 5:32 pm
Troy Highway & Styner Ave 7:00 am 5:34 pm
Eastside Marketplace 7:02 am 5:35 pm
6th & Blaine 7:04 am 5:37 pm
Mt. View Rd & D St (Jr. High) 7:10 am 5:41 pm
Hayes & D St 7:11 am 5:43 pm
Hayes & 1st St 7:12 am 5:44 pm
3rd St (High School) 7:13 am 5:45 pm
Jackson & 6th (SW Corner) 7:15 am 8:20 am 9:26 am 10:26 am 11:26 am 12:26 pm 1:26 pm 2:26 pm 3:26 pm 4:26 pm 5:47 pm
Railroad St. 7:18 am 8:23 am 9:29 am 10:29 am 11:29 am 12:29 pm 1:29 pm 2:29 pm 3:29 pm 4:29 pm 5:49 pm
UI SUB-St. Augustine Side 7:19 am 8:24 am 9:30 am 10:30 am 11:30 am 12:30 pm 1:30 pm 2:30 pm 3:30 pm 4:30 pm 5:50 pm
Line St & 6th/Power Plant 7:20 am 8:25 am 9:31 am 10:31 am 11:31 am 12:31 pm 1:31 pm 2:31 pm 3:31 pm 4:31 pm 5:51 pm
Wallace Complex 7:22 am 8:26 am 9:32 am 10:32 am 11:32 am 12:32 pm 1:32 pm 2:32 pm 3:32 pm 4:32 pm 5:52 pm
KibbieDome
Pulllman Bound
7:25 am 8:29 am 9:35 am 10:35 am 11:35 am 12:35 pm 1:35 pm 2:35 pm 3:35 pm 4:35 pm 5:55 pm 6:50 pm
For those whose priority is having the same school-color-clad anonymity as thousands of other students, the Bookie, the Bookie Too, and Crimson and Gray all sell school-themed clothes and merchandise, mostly at stylishly impractical prices. They do, from time to time, sell school themed clothes in non-school colors as well, such as seasonal blues and pinks, for the school-spirited but also free-spirited soul.
For textbooks, try Crimson and Gray first for their lower prices. If they don’t have your book, you will find it at the Bookie in any case. A savvy and forward-thinking shopper can often find the exact book on Amazon for less than half the price of any of the bookstores in town, there is, however, always the risk that the book will be late or lost in the mail, if you order from a third-party seller. Also for many courses, especially the large GenEd lecture courses like psychology, FSHN, etc, an older edition will do just fine. I bought a $6 outdated version of a textbook for one class, the new edition was over $100, and got an A in the class without any trouble. A note: this doesn’t work as well for smaller classes where you work from the book and do assignments, since page numbers and section numbers can change from edition to edition. If you do have to buy a new book, try reselling it on Amazon at the end of the semester, too, if you have the time, you’ll make at least a third more in most cases. Again, Crimson and Gray have better reported buyback values than the Bookie and its affiliate. A last option is to watch the bulletin boards, since leaving students often try to sell their books individually and will post ads on the boards, especially at the CUB (Compton Union Building).
For supplies, pencils and pens and other small items, there’s really no reason to shop around. Just buy them at the Bookie or whatever store is closest: the price difference is not enough to justify driving or taking the time to travel for them, with gas prices being what they are. The Bookie will probably be the most convenient place, but for food and life’s little things, there is also Don’s, a miniscule little mart on the way up to campus, that has necessities, some food items, and free popcorn made with olive oil and sea salt. They also have free coffee if you’re a caffeine junkie. Definitely worth a stop. Dismores will also be very convenient for many students, being right at the corner of Grand and Stadium Way, they carry limited school supplies and paper, envelopes, etc., but are more of a grocery store. Shopko is also a fine place to buy your supplies, prices are average and it’s right on the bus route ( Pullman Transit, not the Wheatland Express ). Take the I or the A route, A is fastest. On that same end of town, across the street from Shopko and the little mini-mall just up from it, is the Wheatland Mall, with haircutters/stylists, a GNC, UPS, Rite-Aid, and the Dollar Store, where you can buy many things that cost more than twice the price elsewhere for the very same brand and item.
For heating/cooling supplies, furniture, lamps, and other furnishings, Shopko is the nearest place for basic, average-priced appliances and home decor. There is a small shop downtown off of Main that sells vaccuum cleaners, but they are more expensive than Shopko, as one might expect. They do also repair vaccuum cleaners, so a strategy for getting a powerful vac at a great price is to buy one at a thrift store like Goodwill and then having them look it over.
The Bookie, with its basement entirely devoted to student books and supplies, a large non-textbook book section upstairs, a music store, a jewelry counter, a Clinique makeup counter, a lounge, a cafe, a notions and necessities section, acres of WSU clothes, magazines, sandals, gifts and home decor, candles, and what-have-you, has a very broad selection of just about anything a student would need except clothes with any sort of individual fashion sense, so if price and fashion are not issues for you, you may want to opt for the convenience of simply shopping there for all your needs. It is certainly a reliable resource in an emergency, and the place to buy your Blue Books, which you will need for any writing course. Its central location makes it the most convenient place to shop with that large a diversity of merchandise.
Some fun little stores can be found downtown, within walking distance of the university. For unique jewelry, beads, and exotic imported clothing, especially nice for summer, visit the Rick-O-Shay, on Grand Avenue just around the corner from where Main ends in Grand. Along Main Street are a number of little shops with jewelry, accessories, and home decor, but not reliably clothing. Also, for students wanting their own non-gas-powered transportation, a bike shop on Main Street offers bikes for sale and repair/refurbishing services for reasonable prices.
