Shopping

One of the drawbacks of living on a small island is that we sometimes run out of things, and when one store runs out of a particular item, others quickly follow suit. This can go for anything from groceries to socks. Keep in mind that here, everything comes through a shipping company usually via boat. For instance, on certain days of the week you stand a better chance of getting fresh produce than other days.

Getting to know some of the cashiers is a big step towards staying ahead of the game. Shopping for some items you've grown accustomed to in the Mainland can sometimes be a challenge. If you have access to the military bases you're almost guaranteed to save about 20% on just about everything, including gas. Otherwise, the sides of Marine Corps Drive are lined with stores waiting to sell you everything you need.

Micronesia Mall, the only structure vaguely resembling a mall on the island, is a favorite attraction of our Asian tourists and a pastime for us locals. Most of the stores there are more familiar to our far eastern friends, but we do have a Macys and a few sporting goods stores you'll recognize from the states. Otherwise, there's K-Mart and plenty of "mom & pop" operations waiting to serve you. In 2008 Home Depot officially opened and is ready to meet all the needs of the do it yourself types.

Shopping on the Internet

While we all do our best to support Guam’s local businesses, sometimes you just can't find what you’re looking for. The internet is a great back up plan for getting the things you want. One problem you may experience when shopping on line is the limited availability of companies that will ship here. You may find Guam (abbreviated GU) isn’t in the menu of U.S. States, and will have to pay international shipping charges. Often, it may be cheaper to have the item you need sent to a friend or relative in the Mainland and ask them to forward it to you.