University of Missouri scientists have invented a soy substitute with chicken, which supposedly matches chicken’s texture, moisture content, appearance and taste, Jeannine Stein blogs for the Los Angeles Times. [More]
Retail Services
I Canceled My Chase Account Twice, But They Keep Contacting Me
By 2.22.10
Charles says he first canceled his Chase credit card in 2008, but was surprised to find it was still open a year later. He canceled it again, but Chase kept hassling him with mailings, and when he called to see what was up he was told the company was keeping in contact with old customers to comply with the CARD act. [More]
Gilette Raises Razor Blade Prices, Then Deploys Shrink Ray
By 2.21.10
Greg is unhappy with Gilette, the maker of his favored razor. He writes that first, they raised the prices (at Walmart, at least.) Then the number of razors in each package decreased, from four to three and from eight to six. Will the indignities never end? [More]
Guitar Center Solves Receipt Check Dilemma: Give Receipts At The Door
By 2.21.10
Tommy reports that he visited a Guitar Center store in Houston, and found what seems like a nice compromise between receipt checking and not receipt checking. Instead of giving out receipts at the cash register, the store gives customers their receipts at the exit, as they leave the store with their merchandise. Since it’s hard to put a Stratocaster in a plastic bag. [More]
Verizon & Sprint's Sales Tips For Killing iPhone, Circa 2007
By 2.19.10
Let’s step into a time machine and travel through the mists of chronos to an ancient yesteryear. It was a different era, Britney Spears shaved her head, Boris Yeltsin died, and people learned how to print images on toast from the comfort of their own workshops. Oh, and a lil’ thing called an iPhone came out. The year was 2007, and Verizon and Sprint were so scared that they issued these ridiculous sheets to their frontline reps with talking points for discouraging people from buying an iPhone: [More]
Publisher: "If You Can Afford An Ebook Device, You Can Pay More For Ebooks"
By 2.19.10
Imagine trying to buy a book from Big Generic Bookstore and watching the cashier add $5 to the sticker price. “What are you doing?!” you cry out, waving a fist menacingly at him. “You look like you can afford it,” he says back to you with a hint of entitltement. That’s basically what a publishing industry expert said in a piece he wrote last week about ebook pricing. [More]
Remember To Use Your Credit Cards Occasionally Or The Bank Will Close Them
By 2.19.10
We regularly get letters from people who are upset that their bank “unilaterally” closed a credit account they hadn’t used in years. They’re always quite surprised that the bank can do this, and usually want to get their accounts back. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. You really do have to use your account occasionally to keep the bank from closing it. [More]
How I Learned To Start Worrying And Hate Showing My ID
By 2.19.10
In response to yesterday’s post about a guy who likes showing his ID to checkout clerks when he makes credit card purchases, Adam rebuts with his explanation of how he used to be OK with the practice, but has now turned against it. [More]
Allow Yourself To Stop Being Obsessed With "Sell By" Dates On Food
By 2.18.10
Slate has an interesting article about food expiration dates and their meaning — which can be somewhat slippery. The basic idea is this: You don’t have to throw out food just because its past the “Sell By” date. You should inspect your food to see if it has spoiled and try to make a rational decision. [More]
Large-Footed Man Upset That Target Stopped Selling Size 13 Shoes
By 2.18.10
According to reader Dave, Target has stopped carrying size 13 men’s shoes. This makes Dave sad. 13 doesn’t seem really crazy-insane large to us, but apparently Target isn’t selling enough of them. If you want big shoes, you have to order them online. [More]
Walmart Customer Traffic And Total Sales Down
By 2.18.10
Is it a good sign or a bad one for the American economy if Walmart’s sales are down nationwide? Does it mean that the affluent are back on their feet and no longer forced to shop downscale, or that none of us has any money at all? [More]
Never Buy Generic Pasta Sauce
By 2.18.10
Store brand is the new black. Nielesen says that buying of generic brands has increased 8% since 2007. Name brand purchases have dropped ~4%. But here’s a question: what’s what’s never okay to get as a store brand? For me, it’s tomato sauce. It’s like pouring ketchup on your spaghetti. [Boston Globe via NYT Bucks Blog] (Thanks to James!) [More]
Walmart Is Going Fee-Happy On My Money Orders
By 2.18.10
Dan and his wife Kat are geniuses because they guilt Kat’s parents into giving them money orders, but their plans are starting to be foiled because Walmart has suddenly started sticking them with check cashing fees. [More]
I'm Happy When Clerks Demand I Show My ID With Credit Card Purchases
By 2.18.10
James is just fine with companies violating the merchant agreement by checking his ID when he pays via credit card. His rationale is that the practice only increases his sense of security. He writes: [More]
Sony Blocks Online Play On Used Copies Of PSP SOCOM Game
By 2.18.10
Video game publishers generally aren’t too happy that companies such as GameStop reap huge profits from buying and selling used games, and Sony has devised a way to hobble the system from sapping away sales of its newest PSP shooter — slap DRM on the game’s online mode. [More]
Walgreens Opens Wide, Swallows Up Duane Reade
By 2.17.10
Anyone who’s lived in — or even visited — New York City is familiar with Duane Reade Pharmacies, the only business that competes with Starbuck in terms of retail space in the five boroughs. And, as a New Yorker, I know it’s a love-hate relationship with the local chain. But the era of a Duane Reade on every corner in Manhattan may be coming to an end with the announcement this morning that Illinois-based drugstore giant Walgreens is in the process of buying Duane Reade out. [More]
Edward Cullen Man Pillow: Eternally Yours For Just $45
By 2.17.10
“For all the twilight crazed lonely women in the world, Edward Cullen is finally here to be with you and only you,” the product description of the Edward Cullen mannlow begins. Is that a promise, or a threat? Yes, mortals who pine after a fictional and emotionally abusive but sparkly vampire have their own answer to the Girlfriend Pillow. [More]
Redbox Bows To WB's Demand It Wait 4 Weeks To Rent Its DVDs
By 2.17.10
Warner Bros. has already gotten Netflix to wait four weeks before renting the studio’s DVDs, and now it’s worked out a similar deal with Redbox, Deadline Hollywood Daily reports: [More]
