Shopping in Indianapolis

Food Stores / Supermarkets

There are large stores where you can find all the things you may be accustomed to buying in several different small shops. There will be fresh fruits and vegetables, canned goods, baby foods, meats, bread and other baked goods, laundry and cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper products, non-prescription drugs (sometimes a pharmacy as well), and an extensive supply of frozen foods. Frozen foods should be stored in the freezing compartment of the refrigerator. If frozen foods thaw, they should be cooked immediately or they may lose flavor and spoil. Do not refreeze food if completely thawed. Always read package directions for storing and cooking.

Baked goods wrapped tightly in plastic or aluminum foil can stay fresh in a freezer for many weeks. Canned foods, once opened, must be removed from the can and refrigerated and usually should be used within five days. Every supermarket has a meat department where meats are prepackaged and displayed. If you have a question about proper meat preparation or if you want a cut of meat you do not see, ring the bell by the meat counter and the butcher will help you. American cuts of meat may be unfamiliar to you.

Supermarkets also sell beer and wine, but only to those over the legal drinking age of 21. Alcoholic beverages are not sold on Sundays nor legal holidays. These are Indiana state laws. The clerk in the store may ask you to show proof of your age.

Department Stores

Department stores offer most things not found in supermarkets. Items include men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, some furniture, rugs, curtains, bedding, and some appliances (for example, washing machines and some small appliances). Some Department Stores include JCPenney, Macy's and Sears. These stores are almost all located at various malls throughout Indianapolis.

Discount / "Super" Stores

There are department stores that regularly have prices lower than other stores because they have a less elegant interior, because they buy bulk items at much lower wholesale prices, and because they often sell merchandise that is not the very highest quality. Often items will be marked “seconds” or “irregular” which means that they may have a slight imperfection; usually this doesn’t affect their usefulness. Check things carefully to be sure what to expect. Some of these stores have also become “Super” stores, meaning that they carry all the above items, AND include grocery items, drugstore items, a garden center, often an automotive center, and often even have banks, barbershops, portrait studios, optical shops, etc.

For locations and hours, check the business section of the White Pages.

Second-Hand Stores

There are a number of second-hand stores in the city. Check the Yellow Pages under “Second-Hand Stores” or “Flea Markets.”

Laundries and Dry Cleaners

There are a number of cleaners, laundries, and “self-service” laundromats in the Indianapolis area. The coin-operated machines in the self-service laundromats provide inexpensive laundry and cleaning care; there is usually an attendant to help you. Look under “Laundries” and “Cleaners” in the Yellow Pages. Do not leave laundry unattended or it may be stolen.

Bargaining

Prices in stores are fixed. It is not our custom to bargain for a lower price. Prices in different stores, however, may vary for the same items. Sometimes one store will carry a promotion that allows you to request a lower price if you can show an advertisement from a competing store showing the EXACT same item for a lower price. An exception to the fixed-price rule is when you are purchasing a car. Then you may ask for a lower price.