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Study: JCPenney, Avon, Gap Websites Are Worst At Responding To Customer E-Mails
By Chris Morran on November 30, 2011 4:45 PM
20 Comments
After years of being trained to dread contacting a company via phone, lest we get trapped in the automated phone tree, customers are turning to e-mail for resolving their customer service issues. And while a new study shows that a majority of the top online retailers did a passable job of replying to customer inquiries, a handful of websites apparently decided to give their e-mail customer service teams some extra time off this holiday season. More »
Malls Cancel Plans To Track Shoppers' Movements Via Cellphone
By Maggie Shader on November 29, 2011 8:30 AM
63 Comments
Remember how two malls annoyed more than a few people by announcing that they would be tracking shoppers' movements via their cellphone signals? Yeah, well that's no longer happening — at least for now. More »
Alleged Walmart Pepper-Sprayer Turns Self In But Won't Talk To Cops
By Chris Morran on November 28, 2011 11:15 AM
68 Comments
By now you've likely heard about the Walmart shopper who police originally said used pepper spray to give herself a competitive advantage while bargain hunting on Black Friday. In the days since that incident made national news, the woman believed to be responsible for injuring at least 20 people has turned herself in to the the authorities — but she's not really giving much of an explanation for why she thought a cloud of pepper spray would be a good idea. More »
Retailers Rejoice Over Record Black Friday And Weekend Numbers
By Mary Beth Quirk on November 28, 2011 8:00 AM
58 Comments
Retailers must be rubbing their hands together in glee, as the numbers from Black Friday and the post-Thanksgiving weekend come rolling in. Records have been broken, many a TV has been purchased and shoppers really went at it. More »
Here Are Some Cheap Coffee Machines You Can't Buy
By Laura Northrup on November 23, 2011 9:30 AM
78 Comments
Here's a strange phenomenon that reader Jay came across at his local Walmart: Black Friday creep. No, not the race among retailers to see who can open the earliest. Yesterday (Tuesday) Jay picked up a $4 cofeemaker from a shelf full of them, but wasn't allowed to purchase it. He was told that the item wasn't for sale. Not that he couldn't get it at the posted price: he couldn't buy it at all. More »
Black Friday Freebies To Make The Day Even More Worth Your While
By Mary Beth Quirk on November 22, 2011 5:00 PM
26 Comments
There are bountiful sales to be had on Black Friday, but then there is an even better group of Black Friday bonuses — freebies! As in, paying no money and still getting something. For free. More »
Malls To Track Shoppers' Movements Via Cellphone Signals This Holiday Season
By Chris Morran on November 22, 2011 3:15 PM
83 Comments
Because you as a shopper are nothing but a lab rat to be tracked, measured, quantified and dissected so that retailers can market to you in a more efficient manner, at least two malls will be using shoppers' cellphone signals to map out their routes from Sbarro to the Spencer Gifts to Chess King (okay okay... so I haven't been to the mall in a while). More »
Stay In Bed: Black Friday May Not Be The Best Time To Buy That TV You Want
By Chris Morran on November 21, 2011 3:45 PM
35 Comments
As we mentioned last week, just because retailers are offering deep discounts on some electronics doesn't mean there will be savings on the particular item you're after. Now there is some science to back that up. More »
( Louis Abate)
Three Black Friday, Cyber Monday Apps To Find The Best Deals
By Mary Beth Quirk on November 21, 2011 10:00 AM
2 Comments
If you're into shivering/standing in lines outside big box stores during the wee hours of the morning, you can make your life just a tad bit easier by utilizing technology to score the very best deal of all the crazy deals out there. More »
5 Things You Should Know About Black Friday
By Chris Morran on November 18, 2011 2:30 PM
70 Comments
As we mentioned earlier this week, some people have already begun camping out to get in line for this year's Black Friday sales. But are these people going to actually see any big savings or have they just given in to the annual hype machine surrounding the super shopping day? More »
Tampa Woman Lines Up 9 Days Early For Best Buy's Black Friday Sale
By Chris Morran on November 17, 2011 5:00 PM
149 Comments
While thousands of people her age are busy camping out in various Occupy movements around the country, a Florida woman decided last night to occupy the sidewalk outside her local Best Buy in order to be the first person to be disappointed by the Black Friday offerings on Nov. 25. More »
Target Responds To Workers Who Don't Want To Work Thanksgiving Night
By Chris Morran on November 16, 2011 12:30 PM
154 Comments
Earlier this week, we wrote about how one Target employee had started a petition asking the retailer to cancel its plans to open at midnight after Thanksgiving. And even though the petition now has more than 100,000 names, Target is shrugging it off because that employee wasn't scheduled to work that night anyway. More »
5 Things Not To Buy This Season
By Phil Villarreal on November 16, 2011 11:00 AM
118 Comments
In the mad rush of the holidays, it's tempting to try and make as massive a dent as possible into your shopping list, assuming you won't find cheaper prices any other time of year. But buying everything that catches your eye can defeat the purpose of deal hunting, because you'll be able find some items for lower prices later on. More »
Target Employees Fight Back Against Store's Plan To Open Thanksgiving Night
By Chris Morran on November 14, 2011 12:15 PM
263 Comments
Because people simply can not wait until after they've digested their turkey to cash in on deep discounts, many of the major retail chains are opening earlier than usual on Black Friday this year. This is not sitting well with thousands of Target employees who have signed a petition for the store to at least let them finish their pumpkin pie before having to report to work. More »
(bcbeatty)
Tactics To Help You Dominate Black Friday
By Phil Villarreal on November 14, 2011 11:15 AM
57 Comments
If you choose to brave the Black Friday maelstrom and emerge with with something to show for your efforts, it will help to have a plan of attack. If you don't know what you're doing, you could waste a lot of time and end up frustrated. Use the right strategies and you might be able to shop efficiently and score some sweet deals. More »
Write A Black Friday Parody Of Rebecca Black's "Friday"
a gifted an enthusiastic singer... the one thing he's missing are the lyrics. More »
By Ben Popken on November 11, 2011 10:00 AM
51 Comments
Longtime commenter, and honorary Consumer Reports labcoat owner, GitEmSteveDave needs help. He wants to sing a parody version of Rebecca Black's "Friday," except about "Black Friday." He's 
Walmart Will Open At 10pm On Thanksgiving
By Ben Popken on November 10, 2011 2:00 PM
75 Comments
The arms race of hours is on. Determined to top retailers like Target, Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy who are all opening at midnight on Black Friday, Walmart has announced it will be opening at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night. More »
Most Americans Giving Black Friday The Cold Shoulder
By Ben Popken on November 10, 2011 11:00 AM
88 Comments
Despite all the hype and hoopla and multi-page spreads, most Americans are planning on doing absolutely no shopping at all on Black Friday, according to a new survey. More »
Behold! The Scourge Of Mad Holiday Shopping Now Starting At "Black Midnight"
By Mary Beth Quirk on November 8, 2011 12:00 PM
85 Comments
Black Friday? That is so 2010! The drive of rival retailers wanting to get the jump on you getting the jump on post-Thanksgiving holiday sales has resulted in a new sleep-defying ritual of shopping insanity known as "Black Midnight." More »
