“This place is my holy grail…I’m obsessed.”
That is what Avery Brown ’25 had to say about Retail 101.
The discount warehouse, which relocated to Shelton, CT, after its location in Naugatuck, carries overstock items from stores like Free People, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters for steep discounts. Retail 101 is like a sample sale-meets-bin store-meets-thrift shop.
The store, owned by a Connecticut-based company called NEJ, helps businesses manage excess inventory, which explains the fabulously vast collection of popular brands of clothes, shoes, home decor, and furniture all in one place.
For shopping lovers, walking into Retail 101 is like walking into heaven.
The warehouse is filled with racks and bins of all different men’s and women’s styles. Only 25 minutes from Fairfield University, this 50,000-square-foot warehouse is the perfect opportunity for college students to buy their favorite brands for cheap.
Photos from Retail 101’s Shelton, CT location.
“With every fun event going on at Fairfield, I always feel like I need a new dress or outfit. Retail 101’s got me. My dresses for Clam Jam, golf formal and the student-athlete banquet were all from Retail 101,” says Julia Rabadam ’25.
“I found a pair of super nice jeans that originally retailed for $250, for $54,” Juliette Prud’Homme ‘26 shared enthusiastically, “I wear them all the time.”
Retail 101 has made waves on social media. One creator, Christina Clericuzio (@flipdaddie on social media), stated in her TikTok video, “When I die, bury me in Retail 101,” after scoring a $1,598 Anthropologie Mirror for $379.
Another creator, Abby Feehan (@beingblondeisfun on social media) shared another video about the new Retail 101 location.
“Whenever I go to Retail 101 with my friends, I always wind up leaving with brands like Free People Movement and Anthropologie. A lot of my ‘college staples’ have come from there and I’m excited to see the new location in Shelton,” said Lauren Kiesewetter ‘26
With their new location and consistently flowing new inventory, Retail 101 is definitely worth checking out.
Retail 101 is located at 20 Constitution Blvd, Shelton, CT and their hours change weekly. You can find more information about their schedule here.
Happy shopping!
