The Raiders of the Lost Walmart are an elite squad who comb the retail stores of North America for rare and precious antiquities. No, Walmart hasn’t taken to selling actual fossils: these are Information Age antiquities, or old video games for older consoles with inexplicably high prices. [More]
Retail Services
Sears Says Clothing Brand Breakup With Kardashians Was Mutual
By 5.6.15
Earlier this week, we sort of paid attention to celebrity news when we heard that the famous Kardashian sisters were ending their clothing line partnership with Sears because they didn’t want to be associated with the brand. That’s not so, Sears representatives said today: their split with the reality television stars was mutual. [More]
“Injected Ads” Are An Annoying Security Risk Affecting Millions Of Internet Users
By 5.6.15
Legitimate advertising is an annoyance that most of us tolerate and do our best to ignore. But there are more pernicious forms of advertising that aren’t just a nuisance but actually pose a potential security risk, like the “injected ads” that find your way into your web browser through software and extensions. [More]
Chase Raising Fees On Some Checking & Savings Accounts In 16 States
By 5.6.15
Chase customers in more than a dozen states will be seeing a slight change to some of their account statements next month, as the bank announced it would increase service charges for both checking and savings accounts. [More]
Fake Waitress Steals Diner’s Credit Card, Goes On Spending Spree Next Door At Target
By 5.6.15
How many times have you put your credit card out to pay for a restaurant meal and had an employee other than your server pick it up? It’s not uncommon, especially in busier eateries, so some diners wouldn’t think twice when it happens. At least until the card hasn’t been returned because the helpful “waitress” who took it is actually at the Target across the parking lot making purchases with it? [More]
Apple Pay Unavailable At Home Depot As Retailer Upgrades Payment Terminals
By 5.5.15
Though Home Depot was never officially a partner with Apple’s Apple Pay mobile payment platform, which allows users to pay using credit card information stored their phones, the home improvement chain’s NFC-enabled checkout terminals worked with Apple Pay — until recently, that is. The retailer has begun the process of upgrading its in-store payment system, meaning that Apple Pay and other mobile payment platforms are now unavailable. [More]
What Inappropriate Or Perfect Mother’s Day Merchandising Have You Seen This Year?
By 5.5.15
Stores usually mean well. They just want us to expand the definition of what we think of as an appropriate gift for Mother’s Day. Instead of the traditional flowers, jewelry, and gift cards, they want us to consider buying our mothers a tablet computer. Or clothing. Or laundry detergent. Wait, laundry detergent? Isn’t giving your mother cleaning supplies completely against the point of the holiday? [More]
Los Angeles Sues Wells Fargo Over Unfair Customer Account Conduct
By 5.5.15 — Updated: 9.30.16
The City of Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the largest bank based in the state, accusing Wells Fargo of a plethora of unfair practices including encouraging employees to open unauthorized consumer accounts and then charging those accounts phony fees. [More]
JetBlue Will Let Amazon Prime Customers Stream For Free Onboard
By 5.5.15
Though it’s already the only airline to offer free WiFi, JetBlue is taking it once step further and will now let passengers who are Amazon Prime customers stream Amazon’s music and video content for free. Because let’s face it, you’ve got some binge watching of Transparent to get done and those two shrill, chatty 20somethings across the aisle will not shut up about their trip to Cabo. [More]
Fire Department Called To Untangle Girl’s Fingers From Target Shopping Basket
By 5.4.15
A trip to Target turned into quite the ordeal for a young Michigan girl over the weekend when the local fire department had to be called to unsnarl her fingers from a shopping basket. [More]
Nordstrom Remodels Flagship Stores, Won’t Make You Go Inside
By 5.1.15
There are two interesting developments that Nordstrom is trying right now: first, they’re remodeling and fancying up their stores in Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco, seeking to draw international tourists with world-class retail experiences. They’re also experimenting with curbside order pickup, so local shoppers can pick up their online order of bras without getting out of their cars. [More]
Jet.com Is Either The Future Of Retail Or A Doomed Wacky Scheme
By 5.1.15
This week, a new e-commerce site launched to about 10,000 beta users who signed up for a preview. The easy-to-remember name of this new site is Jet.com, and its goal is to remove some of the inefficiencies of shopping online. Will they succeed? [More]
1-Hour Photo Shops Are The Disappearingest Business In America
By 4.30.15
If you think that video stores are the business category that has disappeared the fastest, you’re wrong. If you found an exposed roll of film in a drawer and wanted to find out what was on it, where would you take it? Most likely, your local photo store is gone, and you might have a drugstore or other business that still does a few rolls of film every week. [More]
Executives & Loan Officers Must Pay $600K For Being Part Of Illegal Mortgage Kickback Scheme
By 4.29.15
Nearly five months after Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay more than $35 million – including $11.1 million in redress to affected consumers – for their part in an illegal mortgage kickback scheme, the purported masterminds behind the “pay-to-play” arrangement are finally facing action from federal regulators for their shady dealings. [More]
Shoplifting Suspect Wearing ‘Won’t Be Caught’ T-Shirt Remains At Large
By 4.29.15
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida want to make sure that the prediction made on a woman’s t-shirt doesn’t come true. The message in huge white letters on her black t-shirt was clear: “Won’t Be Caught,” it said. Unfortunately, she was caught on camera while allegedly scooping up almost $1,500 worth of perfume and cologne bottle at an Ulta store in Tampa. [More]
Lumber Liquidators Faces Federal Charges Of Selling Illegally Sourced Wood
By 4.29.15
Things are not going particularly well at Lumber Liquidators right now. Not only is the company facing more than 100 customer lawsuits and a federal consumer safety investigation over flooring it sold that may be releasing dangerous levels of formaldehyde, but the company is also facing criminal charges for selling wood that suppliers may have harvested illegally. [More]
Walmart Reiterates: 5 Simultaneous Store Closures Were Due To Non-Urgent Plumbing Problems
By 4.28.15
Members of the public, local government officials, and Walmart employees aren’t buying Walmart’s explanation that five stores in four different states all had to close abruptly on the same day until because of problems with their plumbing. Yet Walmart stands by that explanation, even in the handout it distributed to employees when announcing the store closures. [More]
Perhaps You Need A Monotasking Twinkie-Maker
By 4.28.15
Why would you use your oven when you could have an entire pantry full of baking devices that are devoted to one extremely specific food item, and often don’t make that food item all that well? That’s why we’re fascinated with these appliances, which can make anything from ice cream sandwiches to pretzels, but cannot create more storage space in your house. [More]
