WHILE no hall of residence room is complete without a mug tree, students in Oxford are quite hung up on how to fill their wardrobes.

Boswells in Broad Street has sold 30,000 coat hangers in six weeks, as new students arrive in the city.

Operations manager Frank Smith said the rush started with Oxford Brookes University freshers at the beginning of September and carried on until Oxford University students arrived in October.

He said: “Foreign students bring very little with them, as you can imagine.

“So when they move into halls or housing, they stock up on pretty much everything, from basics like coat hangers to expensive items.”

The Broad Street department store’s wooden and plastic coat hangers are equally popular with students, although wire or padded hangers are not in favour.

Most opt for multi-packs, with a set of two wooden coat hangers setting them back £2.99, or they can splash out on five multi-coloured plastic hangers for £3.49.

Other items snapped up by the 38,000 students who descend on the city each autumn include duvets, duvet covers, irons, towels, rugs, glassware, saucepans, cutlery, crockery and lamps.

This year’s bestsellers include a kettle and a toaster at £11.99 each.

Mr Smith added: “Most of our business is students walking into our hardware department or cook shop and grabbing all the things they need for their room.

“But we also get quite a few online orders, where they choose from our website and have it delivered straight to their halls.

“Our internet sales this September were double what they were last year.”

This week bosses at Boswells say they signed 800 students up to a discount card scheme, which offers 20 per cent off.

Mr Smith said: “A lot of people connected to the university recommend Boswells because we sell pretty much everything, so they can come in and pick up towels, toothpaste and soap in one hit.

“Duvet covers are a big seller but there is no particular design or colour that is popular. I don’t think they are that bothered. Most are interested in a good deal, price-wise.”

Oxford University freshers’ fair this week is aimed at new arrivals. More than 22,000 students come to the city to start the new term at the 35 undergraduate colleges and halls. Of those, 10,000 are from abroad, including 4,000 from the EU.