Apologies if the question is a word salad, but when I was travelling across America about ten years ago (with just a backpack) there were several supermarkets that I dropped into and managed to get basic clothes like boxers and t-shirts for relatively cheap (I feel like the brand might have been Hanes or something similar).
I'm travelling around the country again soon and was hoping people might be able to suggest some good brands/stores to keep an eye out for if I'm looking for basics (plain tees, underwear etc)
Thank you!
29 comments
Not one brand, no. There are several brands that are on the cheap side. Hanes is one of those, Gildan is another. Kroger stores sell a brand called Dip. Hanes is probably one of, if not the biggest cheap brand.
In my mind, if you’re buying just to get by on your trip, cheap is all I’m going after because I’m not expecting these to be long-lasting.
Supermarkets? Not really, at least not where I am. I mostly think of supermarkets as being for groceries and maybe some basic household products.
Your best bet for something like that would probably be a Target or Wal-Mart, where they should have most of the well known national brands (Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, etc.) as well as some store brand options.
Not supermarkets, but you can find clothing at stores that sell groceries in addition to other things. Stores like Target and Walmart.
Most supermarkets don’t sell clothing. Target and Walmart are “hyper markets” or general merchandisers that sell groceries and consumer goods like clothes, home appliances, etc. You can find cheap basic clothing at those stores.
Hanes, Gildan, and Fruit of the Loom are the three nationals brands for your basic T-shirts with no fancy designs on. Some larger stores have their own generic brand, Walmart’s is Athletic Works for basic casula clothing, George for somewhat nicer.
Supermarkets sell groceries and other household staples.
The more “hypermarkets” like Wal-Mart or Target will sell clothes, with the cheapest ofen being their own in-house/generic brands.
Most supermarkets/grocery stores don’t sell clothes normally. They might have some clothing in their seasonal shelves and you might be able to get some athletic apparel, but this isn’t normal stock.
Hypermarkets like Walmart, Meijer, Kroger Marketplace (and their various child brands), and most Targets are generally set up as a general retailer that also happens to be a grocery store. These stores will have lots of clothing options and many will have generic store brands as well.
Hanes, fruit of the loom, glidan.
Walmart & Target will be the easiest for you to access all over the country. You might also have luck at a store like Old Navy (just clothes, but lots of cheap basics)
Yes, many supermarkets carry Hanes and Fruit of the Loom underwear/undershirts/socks. I think you will have better luck at Walmart and Target for inexpensive clothing.
We have a lot of what are occasionally called hypermarkets, which combine grocery stores and department stores. So yes, you can get your leggings and your lettuce on the same visit. These stores include Target, Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, and probably some other chains outside the upper midwest.
I know that Target has their very own “designer” (if you will) clothing lines. I’ll by pajama bottoms or maybe socks there. Maybe a cool graphic T-shirt if I see one. But I don’t personally do my clothes shopping at Target unless I’m in a pinch.
Supermarkets are usually taken to mean big-box stores that only sell groceries (and maybe they have a pharmacy and limited beauty products). But no clothes or electronics or household decor like you’d find in a hypermarket.
So if you’re asking purely about supermarkets, the answer is no. Because they simply do not carry clothes.
You might be able to get some underwear or socks in the supermarket, but generally not any clothing unless you’re going to Walmart or target like all the comments say.
No, but there is at Walmart
It took me a few minutes to understand, but in some rural truckstops, and also urban liqour stores, they sell socks.
Like, thigh length athletic white cotten socks.
Why are these places selling socks?
Paint & glue huffers was what I finally fjgured out.
Walmart Supercenters and Target stores sell both clothes and food. Target is a little nicer than Walmart, which tends to be the cheapest and lowest quality.
Goodwill sells donated secondhand clothing for [flat prices.](https://goodwillsp.org/shop/price-list/)
If you want something higher quality or nicer looking for cheap, I would suggest visiting TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. TJ Maxx is slightly nicer than Marshall’s.
Those are stores that sell brands’ excess inventory. So, you will find some brand items there for cheap. They also sell home goods, luggage, snacks, and other items.
Some of the fry’s have generic clothing in my area. I think the brand name is DIP.
Some Publix supermarkets get t shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, and hats with the logos of local high schools. Mid level quality and pricing, and I think the schools get a cut of the sales.
I can think of one massive Kroger about 20 minutes away from my house that sells clothing. Other than that no
If you’re not opposed to shopping on Amazon, there are [“Amazon Lockers” all across the country](https://www.reddit.com/r/GoRVing/comments/14ztbop/i_made_a_map_of_all_the_amazon_delivery_lockers/). You can determine if there are any along your routing and have your order(s) delivered there.
Walmart for cheap clothing. You can also find cheap “brand name” clothing at discount stores such as Ross or TJ Max, but I always find it hard to find the right size and there is no order to the way they organize the clothes.
Target has decent stuff and it is pretty cheap. Can’t complain about their T-shirts or underwear
Kroger sells Carhartt
If the supermarket is near the water, there’s a very good chance they’ll have sun hats.
For the record, you often *can* find clothing like you’re talking about in grocery stores. It’s much less guaranteed and the selection will be very minimal, likely low quality, and seasonally themed, but it’s not unheard of. Most people just aren’t going to buy clothes at a grocery store unless it’s an emergency or something, so it’s not something people are consciously aware of.
As others have mentioned though, you’re better off going to a department store like Target or Walmart which will likely *also* have groceries but also a lot more things like clothing, electronics, furniture, office supplies, etc, etc.
Hanes is a decent brand of basic clothing. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with that if you’re looking for something functional and comfortable that’s not going to impress anyone. Most stores will have their own generic brands as well. Just try to avoid the absolute cheapest and the most expensive things and you’ll do alright.
One other commenter mentioned Publix and mine is the same. They have a few racks of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, rain jackets, etc. The clothes have the state name or the local school/college logo. They sell some basic undergarments as well. Piggly Wiggly always has PW shirts and hats and Aldi sells seasonal clothing like sweaters, scarves, house shoes, etc. All have the Aldi name/logo.
Kroger in the Atlanta/Athens Georgia area has one or two stores with clothing and other household goods. Maybe not as much as a selection as a typical Walmart but more than a CVS.
The only clothes I know of that are available in supermarkets are souvenir-type clothes for the city the store is in, and that’s not everywhere. Otherwise, the only others are Walmart Supercenters. They’re half supermarket/half department store. Supermarkets normally just sell food.
George by Walmart is pretty good and incredibly cheap
If you’re looking for cheap clothes, just head into any Walmart or Target and look for cheap clothes. You shouldn’t look for a particular brand. They’ll have basic stuff, and one brand is basically the same as any other at that level.