KitKat slogans all over the world acknowledge that the chocolate-wafer concoction is for giving people breaks. As Nestle introduces the candy in the country of Colombia, their ad concept is about taking a literal “break” at public transit stops in Bogotá. A massage break. By leaning up against a billboard. [More]
Retail Services
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Find Rich Vein Of Overpriced Electronics From 2008
By 10.29.15
Kevin is one of the bold explorers who form the Raiders of the Lost Walmart, checking dusty clearance racks for secret caches of ancient flash drives and defunct multiplayer games. While exploring a retail archaeolgy site, or “Walmart store,” in upstate New York, he found an especially rich collection of finds. [More]
Amazon “Prime Now” Drivers Accuse Company Of Wage Theft
By 10.28.15
If you’re in one of the markets where Amazon offers one- to two-hour “Prime Now” deliveries, the courier who comes to your door may be wearing an Amazon uniform, but they might not be Amazon employees. Some Prime Now drivers in California are accusing the e-commerce giant of using their “independent contractor” status to get away without paying them a legal wage. [More]
Police: Man Stole $50,000 In Cellphones From Two Target Stores By Impersonating Employee
By 10.28.15
Here at Consumerist, we’re no strangers to reporting on stories of employees behaving badly, but sometimes it’s not an actual worker doing the greedy deed. To that end, police say a man in Georgia allegedly impersonated a Target employee in order to steal more than $50,000 in cellphones. [More]
Amazon May Launch Its Own Clothing Brand To Offer More Options For Customers
By 10.28.15
Back in May, Amazon announced it was toying with the idea of creating its own house brand for everyday items like cereal and diapers. Not content to just stay in your cabinets, the e-commerce giant is apparently on the verge of infiltrating our closets with its own private-label fashion line. [More]
Toy Companies Slowly Letting Go Of Strict Gender Categories
By 10.27.15
A few months ago, Target got a lot of publicity when they decided to remove gender labels from their toys, bedding, and electronics sections. In practical terms, this didn’t change very much: toy marketing didn’t instantly change, so you can tell who each display was “for” even without a sign. However, the rest of the toy industry is slowly changing, realizing that kids don’t like being stuffed in boxes and told what to play with. [More]
Your Health Insurer Could Pay You To Take Your Blood Pressure And Weight (Sort Of)
By 10.27.15
The kiosks at pharmacies where you can take your blood pressure, pulse, and maybe even weigh yourself aren’t just for killing time while you wait for a prescription. Well, they’re mostly for that, but Walmart will be trying out a new rewards card that compensates customers to visit the checkup kiosks to take a few measurements. [More]
REI Won’t Open On Black Friday, Tells Everyone To Go Play Outside
By 10.27.15
The outdoor equipment co-op REI sells gear for people to have fun, well, outdoors. That’s why it makes sense that they’ve started a campaign encouraging all of us to spend the day after Thanksgiving having fun outside. Oh, and they’re including store employees in that mandate: stores will be closed, and employees will have that day off with pay. [More]
Walmart Asks The FAA For Permission To Test Drones For Home Delivery, Curbside Grocery Pickups
By 10.26.15
Amazon isn’t the only retailer on the market that wants to get into the drone delivery game: Walmart filed paperwork with the Federal Aviation Administration today asking permission to test drones outside for home delivery, curbside pick-up and duties around the warehouse and parking lots. [More]
Walmart Offering Fewer Products, Widening Aisles
By 10.26.15
Walk into any Walmart and you’ll see shelves upon shelves stocked with a wide variety of products in every shape and size. But that will soon change, as the retail giant begins a transformation of sorts by decluttering its aisles of excess items. [More]
Lord & Taylor Launching Yet Another Off-Price Chain
By 10.26.15
Earlier this year, we learned that Macy’s was opening its own off-price stores called Macy’s Backstage, and Kohl’s is opening an off-price store called Off Aisle by Kohl’sto unload returned merchandise. Now Lord & Taylor wants to join the party with their own off-price store, called Find @ Lord & Taylor. [More]
Shopper Spots Loose Tarantula On Cleaning Cart At Petco, Freaks Out
By 10.23.15
David and his daughter took a trip to Petco this week to buy a fish for her aquarium. After choosing a nice one, they took a lap around the store to look at the other animals. That’s when they ran into the cleanup cart… and the tarantula chillaxing on the corner. At least, that’s what it looked like. (Please note: this post contains pictures of a spider. Proceed with caution if you do not like spiders.) [More]
Report: Target Will Also Offer Free Shipping On All Online Orders Throughout The Holiday Season
By 10.23.15
Best Buy won’t be alone in offering free shipping on anything customers order online this holiday season, as Target has also apparently jumped on the special deal bandwagon: a screenshot from their leaked toy catalog shows the Minnesota-based company will offer free shipping and returns. [More]
This Blu-Ray Player Was A Fine Holiday Gift In 2007
By 10.22.15
If you’re shopping for a new Blu-Ray player, you could walk into any big-box or electronics store and pick one up for under $100. For that price, you’ll get a high definition picture and the unit may even include streaming video apps. Or you could go to Walmart, where this 8-year-old player that originally cost $499 is marked all the way down to $200. [More]
Best Buy Offers Free Shipping For All Orders During The Entire Holiday Season
By 10.22.15
Sometimes it’s just easier to bypass the hustle and bustle of the local mall and do all your holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home. One big problem with that: the sometimes costly shipping fees. Best Buy is hoping free shipping turns into more online sales this year. [More]
Amazon Kicks Brooklyn Out Of The Country
By 10.22.15
Consumerist reader C.W. was on a simple mission to buy some permanent markers — or so he thought: he made it impossible for Amazon to ship him the desired product because he happens to live outside the United States…. in Brooklyn, which as we all know, is its own country. [More]
Target, ThredUP End Partnership That Let Customers Exchange Old Clothes For Gift Cards
By 10.21.15
If you were hoping to exchange your lightly used clothing for Target gift cards though the retailer’s partnership with online consignment store ThredUP, then you’re out of luck: turns out, the test ended weeks ago. [More]
Regulators Drop Probe Into Walmart’s “Made In The U.S.A.” Labeling After Designation Dropped From Website
By 10.21.15
Four months after an advertising watchdog group called out Walmart’s website for selling more than 100 products labeled as “Made in the U.S.A.” even though they were manufactured in other countries, raising the watchful eye of federal regulators, the retailer announced it had removed the designation from its products. [More]
